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PROCEEDINGS 


THE    SOCIETY 


BIBLICAL    ARCHEOLOGY. 


JANUARY 


DECEMBER,    1906. 


VOL.    XXVIII.     THIRTY-SIXTH   SESSION. 


PUBLISHED   AT 

THE     OFP^ICES     OF     THE     SOCIETY, 
37,  Great  Russell  Street,  London,  W.C. 

1906. 


HARRISON   AND   SONS, 
PRINTERS    'N    OKDINARY   TO   HIS   MAJESTY, 

ST.    martin's    lane,    LONDON. 


COUNCIL,      1906. 


President. 
Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  D.D.,  &c.,  &c. 

Vice-Presidents. 

The  Most  Rev.  His  Grace  The  Lord  Archbishop  of  York. 

The  Right  Rev.  The  Lord  Bishop  of  Salisbury. 

The  Most  Hon.  The  Marquess  of  Northampton. 

The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Halsbury. 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Amherst  of  Hackney. 

Walter  ^lorrison. 

Alexander  Peckover,  LL.D.,  F.S.A. 

F.  G.  Hilton  Price,  Dir.  S.A. 

W.  Harry  Rylands,  F.S.A. 

The  Right  Hon.  General  Lord  Grenfell,  K.C.B. ,  &c.,  &c. 

The  Right  Rev.  S.  W.  Allen,  D.D.  (R.C.  Bishop  of  Shrewsbury). 

Rev.  J.  :\Iarshall,  M.A. 

Joseph  Pollard. 


CoKHcil. 


Rev.  Charles  James  Ball,  i\LA. 
Dr.  AL  Gaster. 
F.  LI.  Griffith,  F.S.A. 
H.  R.  Hall,  M.A. 
•Sir  H.  H.  Howorth,  K.C.LE., 

F.R.S.,&c. 
L.  W.  King,  M.A. 
Rev.  Albert  Lowy,  LL.D.,  &c. 
Prof.  G.  Maspero. 


Claude  G.  Montefiore. 
Prof.   E.  Naville. 
Edward  S.  M.  Perowne,  F.S.A. 
Rev.  W.  T.  Pilter. 
P.  Scott-Moncriefif,  B.A. 
R.  Campbell  Thompson,  M.A. 
Edward  B.   Tylor,    LL.D., 
P\R.S..-&c. 


Honorary  Treasitrer — llernard   T.  liosanquet. 

Secretary— \^2\\<tx  L.  Nash,  M.R.C.S.  {Eng.\  F.S.A. 

Honorary  Secretary  for  Foreii^n  Correspondence — F.  Legge. 

Honorary  Librarian— ^■A^^tx  L.  Nash,  M.R.C.S.  (En":),  F.S.A. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Donations  to  the  Library 2,  46,  90,  122,  158,  192,  240 

Election  of  Members  46,  90,  122,  158,  192,  240 

No.  ccviii.     January. 

The  Council's  Report  for  1905       ...  ...  ...  ...        3-4 

The  Hon.  Emmeline  Plunket. — The  "Star  of  Stars" 

and"Dilgan"      6-13 

F.  Legge. — A  Note  on  "The  Early  Monarchy  of  Egypt." 
{Plate)      14-16 

G.  Legrain. — The    Inscriptions     in     the    Quarries    of 

El  Hosh.     {7,  Plates)      17-26 

E.  Sibree,  M.A. — Note  on  a  Hittite  Inscription  (J.  11)  ...     27,  28 
Prof.  J.  Lieblein. — Observations  on  the  Ancient  History 

of  Egypt 29-32 

Margaret  A.  Murray. — The  Astrological  Character  of 

the  Egyptian  Magical  Wands.     (2  Plates)  ..  ...     33-43 

No.  ccix.     February. 

The  Hon.  Emmeline  Plunket. — The  "  Star  of  Stars  " 

and"Dilgan" — {co7itinued).     {Plate) 47-53 

Seymour  de  Riccl — The  Zouche  Sahidic  Exodus  Frag- 
ment (Exodus  xvi,  6 — xix,  11).  From  the  Original 
Manuscript  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...      54-67 

Percy  E.  Newberry. — To  what  Race  did  the  Founders 

of  Sais  belong  ?     {2  Plates)       68-75 

R.    Campbell    Thomp.son,    M.A. — The     Folk-lore     of 

M0.S.S0UI.     1 76-86 

F.  Legge. — A  New  Carved  Slate  (fragmentary).      {Plate)        87 


CONTENTS. 


No.  ccx.     March. 


Prof.    A.    H.   Sayce,   D.D.,  &^c. — Unpublished   Hittite 

Inscriptions  in  the  Museum  of  Constantinople,  {t,  Plates)     91-95 
Edward  R.  Ayrton. — Discovery  of  the  Tomb  of  Si-ptah 

in  the  Biban  el  Moluk,  Thebes.     (2  Plates)     ...  ...        96 

R.    Campbell    Thompson,     jV/.A.  —  The     Folk-lore    of 

Mossoul.     I. — {continued).     {2  Plates)...  ...  ...    97-109 

E.   J.    Pilcher. — Two    Kabbalistic    Planetary   Charms. 

{2  Plates)...         ...  ...         ...  ...  ...  ...no- 118 

P.  ScoTT-MoNCRiEFF,  P. A. — Note  on  Two  Figures  found 

near  the  South  Temple  at  Wady  Haifa.     (Plate)         ...    118,  119 


No.  ccxL     May. 

Victor  Loret. — Le  dieu  Seth  et  le  Roi  Sethosis  ...   123-132 

Prof.  A.   H.  Sayce,  D.D.,  d-v.— The  Ivriz  Texts  ;  The 

Ardistama  Inscriptions  ;  Some  Hittite  Seals.  (Plate)...  133-137 
E.  O.  Winstedt. — Some  Munich  Coptic  Fragments.  I.  137-142 
Prof.  D.  H.  Muller. — The  Hirayaritic  Inscription  from 

Jabal  Jehaf.     (Plate)       143-148 

Prof.  F.  C.  Burkitt,  M.A. — The 'Throne  of  Nimrod.' 

(2  Plates)...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   149-155 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Colin  Campbell.— Inscribed  Slab  with 

a  portrait  of  Khuenaten.     (Plate)  ..  ...  ...        156 


No.  ccxii.     June. 

F.  Legge. — Magic  Ivories  of  the  Middle  Empire.     III. 

(d  Plates)  ..f^       ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...    159-170 

Prof.    A.    H.    Sayce,    D.D..,    ^c.  —  An    Inscription    of 

S-ankh-ka-Ra ;  Karian  and  other  Inscriptions.    (2  Plates)  1 7 i-i  77 

Prof.  Dr.  E.  Revillout. — The  Burgh  Papyrus.  Tran- 
scribed. Translated,  and  Annotated       ...  ...  ...   178-181 

W.  L.  Nash,  F.S.A. — A  Hebrew  Amulet  against  Disease. 

(Plate)       182-184 


VI  CONTKNTS. 

I'AGE 

E.  R.  Ayrton. — The  position  of  I'ausert  in  tlie  XlXth 

Dynasty.     {Pla/e)  185,  1 86 

E.  SiBKEE,  M.A. — Note  on  the  Boss  of  Tarkutimnie     ...  187,  188 

Paui.  Pikrret. — Le  Nom  du  Pschent     ...  ...  ...  189,  190 

No.    CCXIII.       NOVE.MHER. 

Prof.    A.    H.    Sayck,    D.D.,   Cs^c. — The  Chedor-laomer 

Tablets     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...    193-200 

Dr.  \'ai  dkmar  Sch.midt. — Two  Statuettes  of  the  Goddess 

Buto.     {Plate)     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   201.  202 

Theophilus  G.  Pinches,  LL.D. — The  Babylonian  Gods 

of  War  and  their  Legends  ...  ...  ...  ...   203-218 

R.  Campbell  Thompson,  M.A.—Kx\  Assyrian  Incanta- 
tion against  Ghosts  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...   219-227 

H.  S..  CowPER,  F.S.A. — A   Bronze   Figure  from    Rakka 

{Plate)       228 

E.  O.  WiN-STEDT. — Some  Munich  Coptic  Fragments.    II.   229-237 

No.  ccxiv.     December. 

Prof.  A.   H.   Sayce,   D.D.,    c>v. — The    Chedor-laomer 

Tablets — {continued)        ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   241-251 

F.  Legge. — The    Tablets     of    Negadah     and    Abydos. 

(2  Plates) ...    252-263 

The  Rev.  F.  A.  Jones. — Pre-Sargonic  Times.     A  Study 

in  Chronology.     {Plate)...  ...  ...  ...  ...   264-267 

Prof.    Dr.   Valdemar    Schmidt. — Note   on   a   peculiar 

Pendant    shown    on    Three   Statues   of   Usertsen    III. 

{Plafe)       268,  269 

Theophilus  G.  Pinches,  LL.D.— The  Babylonian  Gods 

of  War  and  their  Legends  ...  ...  ...  ...   270-283 

E.    J.    PiLCHER. — A    Leaden    Charm    made    under    the 

influence  of  Saturn.     {Plate)      284,285 

Title  Page. 

Contents. 

Index. 


LIST     OF     PLATES 


The  Early  Monarchy  of  Egypt 

The  Inscriptions  in  the  quarries  of  El  Hosh  (3  Plates) 

The  Astrological  Character  of  the  Egyptian  Magical  Wand 
(2  Plates) 

The  "Star  of  Stars"  and  "  Dilgan 

The  Founders  of  Sais  (2  Plates) 

A  New  Carved  Slate 

Hittite  Inscriptions  (3  Plates) 

Tomb  of  Si-ptah  (2  Plates)  ... 

Folk-lore  of  Mossoul  (2  Plates) 

Kabbalistic  Planetary  Charms  (2  Plates) 

Figures  from  Wady  Haifa    ... 

The  Ivriz  Texts 

Himyaritic  Inscription  from  Jabal  Jehaf 

The  Throne  of  Nimrod  (2  Plates) 

Inscribed  Slab  in  Luxor  Temple 

Magic  Ivories  (6  Plates)       ...  ..  ...  ...       16 

Inscription  of  S-ankh-ka-Ra  (2  Plates) 

Hebrew  Amulet 

Carving  m  tomb  of  Tausert 

Statuette  of  Buto      

Bronze  Figure  from  Rakka  . . . 

The  Tablets  of  Negadah  and  Abydos  (2  Plates) 

Pre-Sargonic  Times  ... 

Statue  of  Usertsen  III 

Leaden  Charm 


PAGE 
16 

26 


40,    42 

74 

87 
92,  94 

96 
102,  108 
112,  116 

118 

134 

144 
I5-S  154 

156 
162,  164 
172,  174 

182 

186 

202 

228 
252,  254 

264 

268 

284 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE    SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCHEOLOGY. 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,     1906. 


First  {Anniversary)  Meeting,  Jannary  lOt/i,  1906, 

W.    H.    RYLANDS,    Esq.,  F.S.A., 
Vice-President, 

IN    THE   CHAIR. 


[No.  ccviii.] 


Jan.  ioJ  SOCIETY  OK  BIBLICAL  AKCH.^OLOGV.  [1906. 


The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donor : — 

From  F.  Legge,  Esq. — "  Das    Buch    von    den    Zwei    ^Vegen   des 

seligen    Toten."      Part    I.       By    H. 
Schack-Schackenburg. 
„  „  "Religion  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians."    By 

Prof.  Steindorf. 


The  Council's  Report  for  the  past  year  was  read  to  the 
Meeting. 

The  Statement  of  Receipts  and  Expenditure  for  the  year 
ending  December  31st,  1905,  was  presented  and  approved, 
and  ordered  to  be  printed  and  circulated  among  the  Members. 

The  List  of  the  Council  and  Officers  was  submitted  and 
approved. 

Thanks  were  returned  to  the  Council  and  Officers  for 
their  services  during  the  past  }-ear. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

Miss  M.  A.Murray:  "The  Astrological  character  of  the 
Egyptian  Magic  Wands." 

Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 


Jan.  io]  the  COUNCIL'S  REPORT.  [1906. 


THE    COUNCIL'S    REPORT 
FOR  THE   YEAR   1905. 

In  presenting  their  Report  at  the  beginning  of  the  Society's  36th  Session, 
the  Council  have  to  deplore  the  loss  by  death  of  many  old  and  valued 
Members,  among  whom  four  appear  to  call  for  special  mention.  Of 
these,  M.  Jules  Oppert  was  one  of  our  few  Honorary  Members,  having 
received  that  distinction  at  the  founding  of  the  Society  in  1870.  He  was 
also  the  last  survivor  of  the  famous  quartette,  consisting  of  himself, 
Fox-Talbot,  Hincks,  and  Rawlinson,  who  triumphantly  vindicated  the 
true  method  of  reading  cuneiform  inscriptions,  and  thus  raised  Assyriology 
to  the  rank  of  a  science.  He  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  our 
Proceedings,  and  the  Council  feel  that  there  is  no  need  of  any  words  from 
them  to  draw  the  attention  of  Members  to  the  very  serious  loss  that  his 
death  has  caused  both  to  this  Society  and  to  Oriental  Archaeology 
generally.  Another  most  distinguished  Member  has  also  gone  from 
us  in  the  person  of  Sir  Charles  Wilson.  He,  too,  had  been  a  Member 
from  the  beginning,  and  had  served  for  some  time  on  our  Council, 
while  the  benefits  he  conferred  on  archaeology  rendered  by  his  explora- 
tions in  Palestine  and  Sinai,  and  the  careful  survey  of  both  countries 
which  he  pubhshed,  all  need  as  little  recapitulation  here  as  do  his 
brilliant  services  to  the  State  in  other  capacities  than  that  of  archaeologist. 
Even  nearer  to  us  was  the  late  Mr.  F.  D.  Mocatta,  who  had  been  a  Vice- 
President  of  the  Society  since  the  year  1889,  had  always  contributed  in 
the  most  generous  manner  to  its  funds,  and  showed  his  kindly  interest  in 
it  by  bequeathing  to  it  at  his  death  the  legacy  to  be  presently  mentioned. 
Lastly,  we  have  to  lament  the  death  of  Mr.  Thomas  Christy,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Society,  who  was  specially  invited  by  Dr.  Birch  to  take 
part  in  its  government,  on  the  ground  that  his  business  talents  could  be 
exercised  to  its  advantage.  How  abundantly  this  turned  out  to  be  the 
case,  both  the  Society  and  his  colleagues  on  the  Council  know  well. 

Owing  to  the  deaths  of  these  and  other  less  distinguished  but  equally 
regretted  Members,  and  to  the  resignations  that  must  always  occur  in  a 
Society  of  such  long  standing  as  our  own,  the  Council  can  announce 
neither  an  increase  nor  a  slight  falling  off  in  the  number  of  Members 
and  subscribing  Libraries,  which  now  stands  at  exactly  the  same  figure 
namely,  410,  as  in  January  last.  The  net  loss  would  have  been  much 
greater  but  for  the  gratifying  fact  that  during  the  past  year  seventeen  new 
Members  have  been  elected.  This  compares  favourably  with  the 
eleven  Members  elected  in  ic,o4,  and  affords  proof  that  the  Society 
is    not    losing    ground    either    in    popularity   or    usefulness.      But    the 

3  A  2 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Members  must  again  be  reminded  that  it  is  necessary  for  them  to 
obtain  recruits  to  fill  up  the  gaps  that  death  and  resignation  yearly  make 
in  our  ranks,  and  that,  with  the  increasing  calls  upon  the  income  of  the 
classes  where  we  are  most  likely  to  find  them,  this  is  likely  to  be  a 
greater  difficulty  in  the  future  than  it  has  proved  in  the  past.  The 
Council  would  therefore  impress  upon  all  Members  the  extreme  im- 
portance of  obtaining  suitable  candidates  for  election  at  as  early  a  date 
as  possible. 

The  financial  position  of  the  Society  has  seldom  been  stronger,  and 
the  Council  are  glad  to  be  able  to  report  that  it  continues  to  improve. 
Under  the  will  of  the  late  F.  D.  Mocatta,  it  has  received  a  legacy  of 
;£ioo,  which  has  been  invested  in  2^  per  cent.  Consols,  in  the  names  of 
the  Secretary,  the  Hon.  Secretary  for  Foreign  Correspondence,  and  the 
Treasurer.  Together  with  the  amounts  already  invested,  this  makes  a 
Reserve  Fund  of  ^236  js.  gd.  stock  producing  income,  and  available 
for  emergencies,  such  as  the  termination  of  the  Society's  lease  of  their 
present  premises. 

The  appeal  for  donations  has  brought  in  the  sum  of  £77  i;^s.  od.,  and 
with  the  subscriptions  paid  in  advance,  and  the  proceeds  of  sales,  has 
enabled  the  Society  to  discharge  the  debt  of  ^100  to  the  Secretary,  with 
which  it  began  the  year  1905.  It  therefore  begins  the  present  year 
without  any  debt  sa\e  that  for  the  printing  of  the  December  Proceedings, 
and  with  a  balance  of  more  than  ^100  to  its  credit.  As  before,  this 
result  is  due  to  the  strenuous  and  unremitting  exertions  of  the  Secretary, 
and  the  Council  hope  that  the  Members  will  redouble  their  efforts  to 
maintain  the  position  that  has  been  won  with  such  difficulty.  In 
particular  the  Donation  Fund,  which  during  the  past  year  was  con- 
tributed to  by  only  fifteen  Members  out  of  a  total  of  more  than  400, 
deserves  more  support  from  all  the  Members  who  can  afl:brd  to  contribute 
than  it  has  up  till  now  received. 

The  Papers  read  before  the  Society  which  have  appeared  in  the 
Proceedings  continue,  it  is  hoped,  to  maintain  the  high  level  of  the 
Society's  work.  Omitting  those  by  regular  contributors,  prominent 
among  whom  is  our  learned  President,  and  whose  names  are  familiar  to 
the  Members,  the  Council  beg  to  draw  attention  to  "  The  King  Samou  and 
the  Enclosures  of  el-Kab,''  and  "  Inscriptions  from  Gebel  Abu  Gorab, ' 
by  M.  G.  Legrain,  and  "A  KabbaHstic  Charm"  by  Mr.  P.  Scott- 
MoncriefF.  Another  most  valuable  contribution  has  been  the  "  Himyaritic 
Inscriptions  on  Jabel  Jehaf,"  by  Lieut.  Yule,  R.E.,  giving  an  account  of 
a  hitherto  unknown  monument  of  great  importance,  a  translation  and 
commentary  on  which  by  Prof.  D.  H.  Muller,  of  Vienna,  will  be  shortly 
published  in  the  Proceedings.  In  all  these  cases,  the  Council  think  that 
the  Society  may  be  congratulated  upon  the  addition  to  its  strength,  of 
which  such  work  is  the  best  evidence. 


Jan.  io] 


COUNCIL. 


[1906, 


The  following  Council  and  Ofificers  for  the  current  year 
were  elected  : — 

COUNCIL,     1906. 


President, 
Prof.   A.    H.    Sayce,    D.D.,    &c.,    &c. 


Vice-Presidents. 

The  Most  Rev.  His  Grace  The  Lord  Archbishop  of  York. 

The  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Salisbury. 

The  Most  Hon.  the  Marquess  of  Northampton. 

The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Halsbury. 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Amherst  of  Hackney. 

Walter  Morrison. 

Alexander  Pf.ckover,  LL.D.,  F.S.A. 

F.  G.  Hilton  Price,  Dir.  S.A. 

W.  Harry  Rylands,  F.S.A. 

The  Right  Hon.  General  Lord  Grenfell,  K.C.B.,  &c.,  &c. 

The  Right  Rev.  S.  W.  Allen,  D.D.  (R.C.  Bishop  of  Shrewsbury). 

Rev.  J.  Marshall,  M.A. 

Joseph  Pollard. 


Council. 


Rk.v.  Charles  James  Ball,  M.A. 

Dr.  M.  Gaster. 

F.  Ll.  Griffith,  F.S.A. 

H.  R.  Hall,  M.A. 

Sir    H.    H.    Howorth,     K.C.I.E., 

F.R.S.,  &c. 
L.  W.  King,  M.A. 
Rev.  Albert  L(3\vy,  LL.D.,  &c. 
Prof.  G.  Maspero. 


Claude  G.  Montefiore. 
Prok.  E.  Naville. 
Edward  S.  M.  Perowne,  F.S.A. 
Rev.  W.  T.  Filter, 
p.  scott-moncrieff,  b.a. 
R.  Campbell  Thompson,  B.A. 
Edward    B.     Tylor,     LL.D., 
F.R.S.,  &c. 


Honorary  Treaswer — Bernard  T.  Bosanquet. 

5fcT;-£/a;rj— Walter  L.  Nash,  M.R.C.S.,  F.S.A. 

Honorary  Secretary  for  Foreign   Correspondence — F.  Legge. 

Honorary  Librarian — Walter  L.   Nash,   M.R.C.S.,  P\S.A. 

5 


Jan.  10]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGY.  [1906. 


THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "DILGAN." 
By  the  Hon.  Emmeline  Pluxket. 

"  When  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  Nisan  the  star  of  stars 
"  (or  Dilgan)  and  the  moon  are  parallel,  that  year  is  normal.  When 
"on  the  third  day  of  the  month  Nisan  the  star  of  stars  and  the 
•'  moon  are  parallel,  that  year  is  full." 

This  translation  of  an  Accadian  tablet  was  contributed  to  the 
Monthly  Notices  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society  (Vol.  XXXIX, 
p.  455)  by  Prof.  Sayce  and  Mr.  Bosanquet ;  and  in  a  very  interesting 
dissertation  on  the  text  they  explained  how,  by  observing  whether 
the  "star  of  stars"  set  at  the  same  time  as  the  new  moon  on  the 
^rst  or  not  till  the  third  day  of  Nisan,  it  was  possible  for  Accadian 
astronomers  to  determine  whether  in  the  current  year  it  would  or 
would  not  be  necessary  to  intercalate  a  thirteenth  month  in  their 
soli-lunar  calendar,  in  order  to  keep  the  year  true  to  the  length  ot 
the  sun's  revolution  through  the  stars. 

The  writers  tell  us  that  "  Dilgan,"  a  star  referred  to  in  other 
cuneiform  inscriptions,  "  is  to  be  identified  with  the  '  star  of  stars  ' 
"  of  the  rule  by  a  passage  in  an  unpublished  tablet  which  makes  the 
"'star  of  stars'  e(]uivalent  to  'the  star  Dilgan  of  Babylon,' "' and 
they  proposed  to  identify  Dilgan  with  the  bright  conspicuous  star 
Capella,  in  the  constellation  Auriga. 

Mr.  Maunder  has  lately  again  called  the  attention  of  astronomers, 
in  the  Monthly  Notices  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society  (March, 
1904),  and  in  the  Joiirtial  of  the  British  Astronomical  Association 
(Vol.  XIV,  No.  6),  to  this  Accadian  tablet. 

'  Notices  oj  I  lie  A'.A.S.,  XL,  120. 
6 


Jan.  io]  THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "DILGAN."  [1906 

In  these  Papers  he  makes  it  very  clear  that  two  conflicting 
theories  have  been  propounded  by  Assyriologists  in  regard  to  the 
Accadian  calendar.  The  two  theories  are,  firstly,  that  the  Accadian 
year  was  equinoctial ;  secondly,  that  the  successive  constellations  of 
the  zodiac  were  connected  with  the  successive  months  of  the  year, 
Aries  being  the  leading  sign. 

Many  years  ago,  in  this  Society's  Proceedings,  I  drew  attention  to 
the  fact  that  these  two  theories  conflicted  with  each  other,  and  I  con- 
tended that,  as  between  their  conflicting  claims,  the  evidence  of  the 
tablets  appeared  to  be  strongly  in  favour  not  of  an  ancient  Accadian 
year  counted  from  the  vernal  equinox,  but  of  one  counted  from  the 
entry  of  the  sun  into  the  constellation  Aries. 

To  this  view  Mr.  Maunder  is  strongly  opposed,  and  he  quotes 
the  tablet  which  heads  this  Paper  as  one  which,  if  it  has  been 
rightly  understood,  must  render  the  theory  that  in  ancient  times 
Aries  led  the  year  utterly  untenable. 

He  observes  :  "  If  Capella  was  Dilgan,  the  sun  must  have  been 
"  passing  through  the  constellation  Taurus  during  the  whole  ot  the 
"  first  month  of  the  year,  so  that  if  any  connection  between  the 
"  signs  of  the  zodiac  and  the  months  of  the  year  was  then  recognised, 
"  the  Bull  must  have  been  regarded  as  the  first  sign,  and  the  Ram 
"  as  the  last." 

Now  it  must  not  be  thought  that  these  questions  concerning  the 
precedence  of  the  Ram  or  of  the  Bull  in  ancient  zodiacs  are  of 
merely  astronomic  or  academic  interest.  It  cannot  with  truth  be 
denied  that  the  answer  to  many  historical  and  mythological  problems 
are  closely  dependent  on  those  given  to  such  astronomic  inquiries, 
and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  I  venture  to  bring  before  the  notice  of 
this  Society  the  subject  of  the  tablet  translated  by  Prof  Sayce  and 
Mr.  Bosanquet,  and  their  identifications  of  the  "star  of  stars"  with 
"  Dilgan,"  and  of  "Diluan  "  with  "  Capella." 

In  this  inquiry  it  will  be  best  to  deal  first  with  one  of  these 
identifications  exclusively,  namely,  that  of  Dilgan  with  Capella,  and 
afterwards  to  discuss  whether  the  "star  of  stars"  can  with  certainty 
be  equated  either  with  Dilgan  or  with  Capella. 

Mr.  Maunder  thus  sums  up  the  considerations  which  led 
Prof  Sayce  and  Mr.  Bosanquet  to  recognise  in  Dilgan  the  star 
known  to  us  as  Capella.  He  says,  ■'  They  identified  Dilgan  the 
"  'star  of  stars'  with  Capella  by  means  of  a  tablet  in  the  Semitic 
"  language,  which  reads  : — 

7 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  P.IBLICAL  ARCIL^OLOGV.  [1906. 

"  'The  appearance  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  of  the  star  Icu 
"  [Dilgan]  .  .  .  one  observes.' 

"  And  again  : — 

"  'The  star  Icu  in  the  month  Nisan  was  seen.' 

"  These  they  take,  and  no  doubt  correctly,  as  being  observations 
"  of  the  heliacal  rising  of  Capella,  and  they  point  out  that  it  rose 
"  heliacally  at  the  time  of  the  spring  equinox  about  2000  B.C., 
"  and  further  that  its  heliacal  rising  took  place  before  its  heliacal 
"  setting.  These  observations  they  join  with  the  foregoing  as 
"  together  furnishing  the  determination  of  the  beginning  of  the 
"  year." 

It  will  be  seen,  from  this  summing  up,  that  the  identification  of 
Dilgan  with  Capella  was  based  on  two  assumptions,  namely  : — 

First,  that  the  heliacal  rising  of  Dilgan  (Capella)  had  been 
chosen  by  Accadian  astronomers  as  a  mark  of  the  beginning  of  the 
year  at  about  2000  B.C. 

Secondly,  that  the  year  so  marked  by  Dilgan  (Capella)  was  one 
beginning  at  the  spring  equinox. 

When  Prof.  Sayce  and  Mr.  Bosanquct  put  forward  their  claim 
or  the  identification  of  Dilgan  with  Capella,  both  the  above 
assumptions,  though  not  actually  capable  of  proof,  were  yet  not 
unreasonable. 

The  earliest  known  Accadian  astronomic  tablets  were  then 
attributed  to  a  date  of  about  1600  b.c.  To  hold  that  the  observa- 
tions recorded  in  them  had  been  made  some  400  years  earlier  must 
have  been  deemed  a  sufficiently  hazardous  supposition.  Again,  as 
histor)^  showed  that  at  about  the  beginning  of  our  era  Nisan,  the 
first  month  of  the  Babylonians  and  of  the  Jews,  fell  close  to  the 
spring  equinox,  the  opinion  that  in  past  times  these  nations  had 
counted  their  years  as  beginning  at  that  season  was  very  generally  if 
not  universally  accepted. 

Now  however  that  we  know  that  many  astronomical  observations 
had  been  made  and  recorded  long  before  2000  B.C.,  it  is  impossible 
to  restrict  the  age  of  the  two  references  to  the  star  Dilgan  in  the 
quoted  tablets  to  that  date,  and  hence  the  argument  for  identifying 
Dilgan  with  Capella,  even  admitting  the  equinoctial  theory  for  the 
Accadian  year,  is  considerably  weakened  ;  and  it  has  further  to  be 
borne  in  mind  that  two  conflicting  theories  on  the  subject  do  exist, 
and  that  it  is  not  yet  a  proved  fact,  or  one  that  can  be  treated  as 
an  axiom,  that  the  Accadian  year  was  equinoctial. 


Jan.  io]  THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "DILGAN."  [1906. 

As  then  there  must  still  prevail  much  uncertainty  regarding  the 
identification  of  Dilgan  with  Capella,  it  will  be  worth  our  while  to 
call  to  our  aid  in  this  inquiry  some  notices  of  Dilgan  occurring  in 
other  Accadian  tablets,  which  may  enable  us  to  determine  in  what  part 
of  the  celestial  sphere  the  star  (or  constellation)  Dilgan  was  situated. 

The  translating  of  ancient  astronomical  tablets  has  presented 
almost  insurmountable  obstacles  to  scholars  ;  for  as  Prof.  Sayce 
observes  : — 

"  Their  interpretation  is  for  the  most  part  difficult,  since  not  only 
"  are  the  terms  obscure  and  removed  from  ordinary  life,  but  a  large 
"  portion  of  the  tablets  is  written  ideographically.  The  astrological 
"  information  they  contain  had  to  be  concealed  from  the  uninitiated, 
"  and  accordingly  while  the  grammar  is  Semitic,  the  words  are  in 
"  great  measure  Accadian.  Sometimes,  however,  these  are  Assyrian  ; 
"  and  the  mixture  of  the  two  vocabularies  considerably  increases  the 
"  difficulty  of  decipherment,  as  it  is  often  uncertain  whether  the 
"  characters  are  to  be  read  phonetically  or  not.  Moreover,  the 
"  same  ideograph  is  not  unfrequently  used  in  totally  different  senses  ; 
"  in  fact  we  may  say  that  whereas  an  ordinary  Assyrian  inscription 
"  endeavours  to  make  itself  intelligible  to  the  reader,  these 
"  astrological  legends  are  intended  to  conceal  their  meaning  as 
"  much  as  possible." 

In  the  thirty  years  which  have  elapsed  since  Prof.  Sayce  wrote 
these  lines  some  advance  has  been  made  towards  the  right 
understanding  of  cuneiform  astronomical  tablets.  The  advance  has 
been  slow  ;  but  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  difficulties 
which  had  to  be  encountered  at  every  step  of  the  way,  we  can  only 
congratulate  ourselves  on  what  has  been  accomplished  by  the 
scholars  who  have  turned  their  attention  to  this  arduous  task. 

It  is  now  possible  to  claim  with  certainty  a  knowledge  of  many 
Accadian  technical  terms  which  were  stili'made  use  of  in  astronomic 
and  astrologic  documents  by  Babylonian  writers  in  the  first  and 
second  centuries  B.C.  The  same  claim  can  be  made  for  our 
knowledge  of  the  Accadian  names  for  the  seven  planets,  and  of  the 
first  syllable,  at  least,  of  the  twelve  constellations  of  the  zodiac. 
The  Accadian  names  of  a  few  extra-zodiacal  stars  and  constellations 
have  also  been  securely  ascertained ;  but  for  Dilgan,  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  learn,  no  more  certain  identification  has  been  proj^osed 
than  that,  as  above  stated,  suggested  by  Prof.  Sayce  and 
Mr.  Bosanquet. 

9 


Jan.  lo]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.liOLOGY.  [1906. 

By  making  use  however  of  the  knowledge  that  has  been  gained 
of  the  names  of  other  stars  and  constellations,  I  think  it  will  be 
possible  to  suggest  an  identification  for  Dilgan  with  a  well  known 
ancient  constellation  in  the  Grecian  sphere. 

Recorded  observations  of  the  position  of  the  planet  Venus  in 
different  m.onths  of  the  year  are  to  be  met  with  in  many  ancient 
tablets.  Prof.  Sayce  translates  as  follows  a  passage  in  which  Dilgan 
is  associated  with  the  ])lanet  Venus  in  the  month  Sebat : — 

W..\.I.  53  :- 

''  24.  [In  the  month  Chislav]  Venus  is  called  the  spark  of  Gula. 

"  25.  In  the  month  Tebet,  Venus  is  the  spark  of  the  double  ship. 

"  26.  In  the  month  Sebat,  Dilgan  of  Babylon. 

"  27.  A  royal  crown  \t  grres  (?)  to  Merodach. 

"28.  In  the  month  Adar  the  spark  of  the  Fish  of  Hea  is  Venus 
"  (and  also  Mercury). 

"  29.  In  the  month  Adar  on  the  third  day  (Venus)  rises  and 
"  in  Nisan "' 


Fortunately  for  our  incjuiry  concerning  Dilgan,  with  which  m 
this  tablet  the  planet  Venus  is  associated  in  the  month  Sebat,  we 
can  claim  witii  almost  certainty  a  knowledge  of  the  names  of  the  two 
constellations  which  in  the  tablet  appear  as  marking  the  path  of  the 
planet  in  the  two  preceding  months.  Gula,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
doubt,  designated  the  zodiacal  Aquarius ;  and  Uz,  formerly 
translated  "the  double  ship,"  is  now  translated  "Goat,''  and  stands 
astronomically  for  the  zodiacal  Capricornus. 

The  apparent  path  of  the  planet  Venus  is  as  a  rule  from  west  to 
east  amongst  the  constellations  ;  but  for  about  a  fortnight  before 
and  a  fortnight  after  inferior  conjunction  with  the  sun  its  path  is 
from  east  to  west.  When  therefore  we  read  that  "In  the  month 
(Jhisluv  Venus  is  called  the  spark  of  Gula"  (Aquarius),  and  that  in 
the  following  month,  Tebet,  "Venus  is  the  spark  of  the  double 
ship  "  (Capricornus),  it  is  clear  that  at  some  time  during  those  two 
months  Venus  was  moving  in  a  retrograde  direction  through  the 
constellations,  and  that  either  at  the  end  of  Chisluv  or  the  beginning 
of  I'ebet  the  planet  was  in  inferior  conjunction  with  the  sun. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  what  may  have  been 
the  zig-zag  path  of  Venus  in  a  year,  in  which  the  longitude  of  the 

ic 


Jan.  lo]  THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "UILGAN.'^  [1906. 

planet  coincided  with  tliat  of  the  sun  at  a  point  on  the  ecliptic 
between  the  Babylonian  constellations  Gula  and  Uz. 

It  is  not  by  any  means  contended  that  the  Babylonian  con- 
stellations bore  in  every  case  exactly  the  same  figurts  as  those 
represented  on  the  Grecian  sphere — though  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  in  many  instances  a  close  resemblance  did  exist.  The  illustra- 
tion^ points  to  the  fact  stated  by  Epping  and  Strassmaier,  that  for 
purposes  of  astronomical  measurement  "  jedem  Bilde  genau  30*^ 
zugetheilt  werden." 

As  to  the  initial  point  of  their  zodiacal  series,  I  have  adopted 
that  of  the  fixed  Hindu  sphere.  The  many  considerations  which 
have  led  me  to  the  opinion  that  not  only  in  India  but  amongst 
"  the  ancients  ''  generally  this  was  held  to  be  the  initial  point  of  the 
ecliptic  circle,  I  have  dwelt  upon  in  Ancient  Calendars  and  Con- 
stellations. Epping  suggests  a  point  about  5°  to  the  East  of  that  here 
given  for  the  1°  Aries.  This  difference,  though  enough  to  aftect  the 
answer  given  to  many  chronological  problems,  need  not  be  taken 
into  consideration  in  our  present  inquiry  concerning  the  position  of 
Dilgan  in  the  Accadian  sphere. 

As  the  Babylonian  years  were  soli-lunar,  the  position  of  the  sun 
on  the  first  of  a  given  lunar  month  might  vary  to  the  extent  of  iibout 
29°  in  relation  to  the  constellations  of  the  zodiac.  I  have  supposed 
that  the  year  in  question  followed  one  in  which  a  thirteenth  month 
had  been  intercalated,  and  that  the  first  of  Chisluv  occurred  when 
the  sun  had  advanced  about  20°  through  the  Babylonian  constella- 
tion of  the  Archer. 

During  Chisluv,  the  path  of  Venus,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the 
tablet,  was  through  the  stars  of  Gula  (Aquarius),  and  in  the  following 
month  Tebet  through  the  stars  of  Uz  (Capricornus),  therefore  in  the 
beginning  of  the  month  Sebat  the  planet  would  traverse  some  of 
the  eastern  degrees  of  Uz,  and  later  in  the  same  month  would  again 
enter  into  the  constellation  Gula.  The  tablet  however  associates  Venus 
in  the  month  Sebat  not  with  Uz  or  with  Gula,  but  with  "  Dilgan," 
and  this  fact  should  lead  us  to  the  conclusion  that  Dilgan  was  a  star 
or  constellation  not  far  from  the  point  on  the  ecliptic  where  the 
constellations  Capricornus  and  Aquarius  meet. 

Now  Capella — the  star  with  which,  as  we  have  seen,  it  has  been 
proposed  to  identify  Dilgan — is  distant  !)y  more  than  95°  of  longitude 

-  The  Plate  will  appear  with  the  concluding  part  of  the  Paper. 
II 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV.  [1906. 

fioni  this  point.  If  therefore  we  place  any  reliance  on  the  statement 
made  in  the  tablet  concerning  the  planet  Venus  in  the  month  Sebat,'^ 
we  must  dismiss  the  suggested  identification  of  Dilgan  with  Capella, 
and  we  must  seek  for  some  star  or  constellation  worthy  of  notice 
in  or  near  to  Capricornus  and  Aquarius  which  could  have  marked 
the  path  of  Venus  in  Sebat,  and  which  also  should  fulfil  the  astro- 
nomical requirements  demanded  of  Dilgan  in  the  other  ancient 
tablets  already  quoted,  namely  : — 

"  The  appearance  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  of  the  star  Dilgan 
'■ .  .  .  one  observes.'"' 
And— 

"  The  star  Dilgan  in  the  month  Nisan  was  seen." 
To  find  at  2000  b.c.  a  star  or  constellation  in  the  vicinity  of 
Capricornus  and  Aquarius  whose  appearance  should  announce  the 
arrival  of  the  sun  at  the  equinoctial  point  (then  very  close  to  the 
Pleiades  group),  it  would  be  necessary  to  fix  upon  some  star  or 
constellation  in  quadrature  to  the  sun,  which  star  rising  at  midnight 
might  have  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  sun  was  at  the 
equinoctial  point.  That  Accadian  astronomers  should  have  thus 
elected  to  mark  the  beginning  of  the  year,  is  a  possible  but  some- 
what far-fetched  supposition,  and  to  the  advocates  of  an  equinoctial 
year — counted  by  methods  first  originated  about  2000  B.C. — must 
be  left  the  task  of  identifying  Dilgan  under  such  a  supposition. 

■'  Robert  Browne,  in  Primitive  ConsteUations,  Vol.  II,  p.  150,  refers  to  a 
"  Dilbat  "  (Venus)  tablet  as  follows  : — 

"The  tablet  81.7.6,  102,  for  acquaintance  with  which  I  am  indebted  to 
"  Mr.  Pinches  .  .  .  gives,  but  singularly  enough  not  quite  in  their  regular  order, 
"the  12  months  with  12  special  stars  .  .  .  ."  At  a  later  page  Mr.  Browne  gives 
a  translation  of  the  tablet.  I  quo:e  from  it  the  lines  referring  to  Dilbat  (Venus) 
in  the  months  Chisluv,  Tebet,  Sebat,  and  Adar : — 

"  7.  The  Star  Gir-anna  =  Dilbat  in  Kisluv." 

"  8.  The  star  Uz  =  Dilbat  in  Tebet." 

"  9.  The  star  Dilgan  =  Dilbat  in  Sebat." 

"  10.  The  star  Kha  (the  Fish)  =  Dilbat  in  Adar." 

Gir-anna,  not  Gula,  is  here  associated  with  Venus  in  the  month  Chisluv  ;  but 
for  the  following  three  months  the  path  of  the  planet  in  both  tablets  is  marked  by 
the  same  stars  or  constellations.  It  has  occurred  to  me  that  possibly  Gir-anna 
may  have  been  another  Accadian  name  for  the  constellati  'n  "  Gula,"  and  if  that 
were  the  case,  we  might  assume  that  the  two  tablets  described  the  path  of  the 
planet  in  one  and  the  same  year  ;  but  be  that  as  it  may,  we  find  Dilgan  in  both 
tablets  marking  the  path  of  Venus  in  the  month  Sebat.  The  posilioi  of  Dilgan 
as  in  the  vicinity  of  Uz  is  thus  assured  by  the  testimony  of  two  independent 
witnesses. 


Jan.  10]  THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "DILGAN."  [1906. 

If  on  the  other  hand  we  adopt  the  theory  of  an  Accadian  sidereal 
year,  dependent  on  the  entry  of  the  sun  into  the  constellation  Aries, 
we  should  not  find  any  great  difificulty  in  identifying  Dilgan  with  a 
well  known  ancient  constellation  which  could  have  been  associated 
with  Venus  in  the  month  Sebat,  and  which  also  by  its  heliacal 
rising  might  for  Accadian  and  Babylonian  astronomers  have  marked 
the  arrival  of  the  sun  at  the  initial  point  of  the  zodiac.  This  con- 
stellation is  the  one  known  to  us  as  Piscis  Australis- — the  Southern 
Fish. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration  that  this  constellation  lies 
to  the  south  and  to  the  west  of  Aries,  and  that  it  underlies  the 
constellations  Aquarius  and  Capricornus. 

A  little  reflection  will,  I  think,  convince  us  of  its  suitability  for 
identification  with  Dilgan. 

I  have  claimed  that  the  heliacal  rising  of  the  "  Southern  Fish  " 
might  for  Accadian  and  Babylonian  astronomers  have  marked  the 
arrival  of  the  sun  at  the  initial  point  of  the  zodiac. 

The  late  Mr.  F.  C.  Penrose,  in  a  paper  published  in  the  Trans- 
actions of  the  Royal  Society  in  1893,^  thus  explains  and  discusses  the 
meaning  of  the  term  "  heliacal  rising."  He  says,  p.  43,  "  .  .  .  .  the 
"  meaning  of  the  term  being  that  the  star,  when  very  slightly  above 
"  the  horizon,  should  just  be  visible  in  the  twilight,  before  being 
"  extinguished  by  the  dawn." 

And  further,  p.  44  : — 

"The  conclusion  I  have  come  to  is  that  (1)  a  first  magnitude 
"  star  in  fair  average  weather  in  Greece  or  Italy  could  be  seen  when 
"  rising  heliacally  at  an  altitude  of  3°,  the  sun  being  10°  below 
"  the  horizon  ;  (2)  that  second  magnitude  stars  should  require  an 
"altitude  of  3°  30'  with  the  sun  11°  depressed,  but  that  for  a 
"  third  magnitude  star  the  sun's  depression  should  not  be  less  than 


■•  "  On  the  Orientation  of  certain  Greek  Temples  and  the  Dates  of  their  Founda- 
tion derived  from  Astronomical  Considerations,  being  a  Supplement  to  a  Paper  on 
the  same  subject  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  in  1893.' 


{To  be  continued.) 


13 


Tan.   10]  SOCIETY  C)F  BIBLICAL  ARCPL^OLOGV.  [1906. 


"THE    EAR1>Y    MONARCHY    OF    ECiYPT." 

Note  bv  ]\Ir.  F.  Legge. 

Since  Prof.  Petrie's  Paper  on  "The  Early  Monarchy  of  Egypt" 
was  read  before  the  Society,  I  have  gone  carefully  over  the  evidence 
in  the  hope  of  discovering  something  that  might  lead  me  to  alter  the 
conclusions  expressed  by  me  in  "The  Kings  of  Abydos"  {P.S.B.A., 
1904,  pp.  125-144).  My  search,  however,  has  been  fruitless,  and 
Prof.  Petrie  seems  to  have  ignored  most  of  the  points  at  issue 
between  him  and  his  critics.  As,  in  my  former  paper,  I  gave,  with 
such  impartiality  as  I  could,  all  the  arguments  adduced  up  to  that 
date  by  Dr.  Naville,  Dr.  Sethe,  and  Prof.  Petrie  himself,  there  is  no 
need  to  recapitulate  them  here :  but  I  may  perhaps  say  that  I  do 
not  read  Dr.  Sethe's  paper  in  quite  the  same  sense  as  he  does,  and 
that  the  former's  doubting  admission  that  the  Horus-  or  hawk-name 
of  Ka  may  have  belonged  to  one  of  Menes'  immediate  predecessors 

(f/iag  daher wirklich ei7iet7i  der  letzten  Vorgdnger  des 

Menes,  die  das  oberd^yptische  beherrschten,  angehort  haben)  can  hardly 
be  given  much  weight  against  his  frankly-expressed  opinion  that  the 
whole  theory  of  a  dynasty  before  Menes  was  due  to  Prof.  Petrie's 
finding  names  for  which  he  had  no  room  elsewhere  (.....  ve?-- 
dankt  dock  die  vo?i  Petrie  aiffgestellte  Dynastie  von  Konigen  vor  Menes 
ihr  Dasein  ifu  Grunde  nur  deni  l/nistande,  dass  Petrie  in  der  ersteti 
Dynastie  keinen  Platz  7?tehr  fi/r  sie  hatte). — However  that  may  be, 
the  real  elenchus  that  Dr.  Sethe,  quite  as  much  as  Prof.  Petrie,  has 
to  face  is  the  identification  of  Aha  with  Menes.  As  I  endeavoured 
to  show  in  my  former  paper,  this  is  the  pivot  on  which  turns  the 
identification  of  all  the  kings — except  Usaphais  and  Miebis — claimed 
for  either  the  First  or  the  Pre-Menite  dynasty;  and  all  arguments 
from  style,  position  of  objects  and  the  like,  whether  valid  or  not, 
in  the  long-run  start  from  this  equation.  It  therefore  seems  useful 
to  give  here  two  arguments  which  have  come  into  force  since  I 
wrote  last  year,  and  which  seem  to  me  to  increase  the  probability 
that  the  hawk-name  of  Menes  has  yet  to  be  discovered. 

14 


Jan.   io]  "THE  EARLY  MONARCHY  OF  EGYPT."  [1906. 

To  the  first  of  these  arguments  my  attention  was  drawn  by  my 
friend,  Dr.  Naville.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  one  document 
up  to  the  present  that  bears  signs  inscribed  near  the  name  of  Aha 
which  the  utmost  ingenuity  can  torture  into  yielding  a  name  like 
that  of  Menes,  is  the  fragment  of  ivory  discovered  in  the  course  of 
M.  de  Morgan's  excavations  at  Negadah.  This  fragment,  which  I 
here  reproduce  (Fig.  i  of  Plate),  shows  by  ihe  side  of  the  hawk- 
crowned  srekh  of  Aha,  a  sort  of  Norman  arch  formed  of  three 
parallel  lines,  under  which  appear  the  part  of  the  royal  protocol 
generally  called  the  vulture-and-uraeus  or  nebti  signs,  and  underneath 
them,  a  sign  which  first  Dr.  Borchardt  and,  following  him.  Dr.  Sethe 
and  Prof.  Petrie,  have  declared  to  be  the  draughtboard  sign  reading 
Alen,  and  to  be  the  archaic  way  of  writing  the  name  Menes.  As 
Menes  from  the  analogy  of  the  names  Usaphais  and  Miebis  must 
have  represented  a  cartouche-name,  it  follows  that  the  arch  here 
shown  must,  on  this  hypothesis,  be  a  primitive  form  of  the  cartouche. 
Dr.  Naville,  on  the  other  hand  {L.F.A.M.,  I,  p.  109),  will  have  it  to 

be  not  the  cartouche  but  an  early  variant  of  the  sign  jjini  which 

denotes  a  building,  and  would  make  the  whole  group  read  juetmebti 
"the  royal  pavilion."  Hitherto  this  view,  though  probable  enough, 
has  lacked  confirmation  from  precedents  going  back  to  very  early 
times,  such  scenes  as  that  shown  in  Fig.  2  of  the  Plate,  which 
depicts  the  deceased  person  sittmg  in  a'  pavilion  and  playing 
draughts,  being  taken  from  a  Book  of  the  Dead  of  the  New-  Empire. ^ 
Now,  however,  M.  Amelineau  has  published  in  his  Noiivelles  Fouilles 
d'Abydos,  1897-1898  (Paris  :  Leroux,  1904),  PI.  XV,  fig.  19,  an  ivory 
tablet  coming  from  the  tomb  that  he  there  calls  Tomb  2  2  which  in  a 
general  way  resembles  the  famous  fragment  of  Negadah.  On  the 
second  register  of  this  (see  Fig.  3  of  the  Plate)  there  appears  an  arch 
corresponding  to  that  on  the  last-named,  with  the  exception  that  it 
is  composed  of  two  lines  instead  of  three,  under  which  appear  only 
the  two  signs  X37  and  o.  If  we  may  read  these  nebt,  the  whole 
group  might  possibly  mean  something  like  "the  queen's  pavilion:" 


1  The  sign    j       j   occurs  on  the  Palermo  Stone,  which  may  be  attributed  to 

the  Vlth  dynasty.  It  is  there  used  in  connection  with  the  names  of  different 
"Halls,"  such  as  "the  Hall  of  the  divine  thrones"  and  the  like.  Cf.  Naville, 
Rec.  de  Trav.,  XXV,  pp.  64  sqq.  Schafer  {Ein  Bnichstiick  Altag)'ptischer 
Annalen)  disputes  this. 

15 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.IIOLOGY.  [1906. 

but,  in  any  case,  it  would  require  very  strong  faith  to  see  in  the  arch 
any  reference  to  the  cartouche.  The  tablet,  it  should  be  noticed, 
appears  from  the  srekh  in  the  left-hand  extremity  of  the  upper 
register  to  have  been  made  for  the  king  whom  Dr.  Naville  calls 
Schesfi,  but  whom  Dr.  Petrie  would  call  Zer,  and  would  identify 
with  the  king  bearing  in  Manetho  tlie  cartouche-name  of  Atothis. 
The  probability  of  the  truth  of  Dr.  Naville's  interpretation  of  the 
so-called  Menes  tablet  is  now  therefore  at  least  twice  as  great  as 
before. 

The  other  argument  that  I  should  like  to  impress  upon  the 
Society  is  the  old  one  from  silence,  which  seems  to  me  to  gather 
additional  force  every  day.  Aha  was  evidently  a  king  ruling  over  a 
great  part  of  Egypt,  as  is  shown  alike  by  the  richness  of  his  funereal 
equipage  and  by  the  fact  that  part  of  it  appears  at  Negadah  and  the 
rest  at  Abydos.  AI.  Amelineau,  M.  de  Morgan,  Prof.  Petrie,  and 
Mr.  Garstang  have  in  turn  unearthed  monuments  inscribed  with  his 
hawk-name,  of  which  we  now  possess  many  hundreds  as  against  the 
dozen  or  so  that  can  be  ascribed  to  well-authenticated  names  like 
Usaphais  and  Miebis.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cartouche-name 
which  underlies  that  of  Menes  must  have  come  down  from  very 
early  times  as  that  of  the  founder  of  the  kingdom,  since  we  find  both 
Seti  I  and  Rameses  II  beginning  with  it  the  lists  of  their  predeces- 
sors which  they  engraved  on  the  walls  of  the  temple  at  Abydos. 
Hence  it  should  have  been  as  well  known  in  the  time  of  its  bearer 
as  that  of  William  the  Conqueror  was  in  his ;  yet  among  all  the 
hundreds  of  examples  that  we  now  possess  of  Aha's  inscriptions,  not 
one  gives  any  hint  of  the  name  of  Menes  except  the  fragment  given 
in  the  Plate,  to  which  a  perfectly  different  and  more  plausible  inter- 
pretation can  be  given.  At  first  this  argument  had  liltle  weight 
because  it  might  be  said  that  the  search  for  Aha's  monuments  was 
not  completed ;  but  now,  when  all  fuid-spots  likely  to  contain-  his 
monuments  have  been  ransacked,  it  seems  to  me  to  be  almost 
conclusive.  Dogmatism,  notoriously  unsafe  in  matters  of  science, 
is  in  Egyptology,  pecuharly  liable  to  disaster ;  and  it  is,  of  course, 
quite  possible  that  the  earth  may  yet  give  tip  some  inscription  that 
will  put  the  identity  of  Aha  with  Menes  beyond  a  doubt.  But  until 
this  happens,  he  will  I  think  be  rash  who  will  put  faith  in  any  lists 
of  the  Menite  dynasty  which,  like  those  of  Dr.  Sethe  and  Prof. 
Petrie,  are  founded  on  this  equation. 

16 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  Jan.  1906. 


?^as>^: 


Fig.    I. 

From  Rci.  dc  Trai'.,  XXI,  105,  1899. 


Fig.  2, 

Leydcn  Papyrus,  T  2. 


Fig-  3- 

From  Amelineau  ;  Nonvelles  Fouilles  d'Abydos,  1S97-98.     Paris  :   Leroux,  1904. 


Jan.  io]     INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  QUARRIES  OF  EL  HOSH.      [1906. 


THE    INSCRIPTIONS    IN    THE    QUARRIES 
OF    EL    HOSH. 

By  G.  Legrain. 

Among  the  inscriptions  which  I  have  collected  in  the  course  of 
my  journeys  through  Egypt,  more  particularly  those  that  I  have 
found  between  Edfu  and  Gebel  Silsileh,  are  nearly  one  hundred 
graffiti  engraved  in  the  quarries  of  El  Hosh  alone,  and  which  for 
the  most  part  have  not  hitherto  been  published. 

Various  scientific  observers,  noticing  that  these  graffiti  are  only 
met  wnth  in  the  quarries,  and  not  on  the  rocks  which  border  the 
river,  have  regarded  them  as  "  Steinmetzmarken"  stone-workers' 
marks,  and  in  some  cases  have  seen  in  them  the  mark  of  the  owner 
of  the  quarry,  a  sort  of  rebus  which  had  no  connection  with  any 
language  or  alphabet  whatever. 

This  opinion  has  seemed  to  me  to  be  perhaps  somewhat  hasty, 
and  Prof.  Sayce,  to  whom  I  showed  my  copies,  encouraged  me  to 
make  a  somewhat  closer  examination  of  these  inscriptions  than  had 
hitherto  been  done.  It  may  be  that  these  researches  will  yield  no 
results  ;  but  in  any  case  the  Plates  will  serve  the  purpose  of  keeping 
together  the  complete  collection  of  these  curious  inscriptions. 

For  about  tw^enty  kilometres  South  of  Edfu,  on  the  West  bank  of 
the  river,  lies  the  country  of  Ramadi,  the  Northern  extremity  of 
which  is  marked  by  the  Gebel  Rashidi.  At  this  point  the  mountain 
approaches  the  river,  and  past  the  mouth  of  a  large  irrigation  canal 
there  is  nothing  but  a  narrow  band  of  fertile  earth  to  be  found  on 
the  border  of  the  Nile.  The  view  of  the  country  from  the  river  is 
charming  :  palms,  tamarisks,  beans,  lupins,  and  walled-in  gardens 
everywhere  meet  the  eye.  Those  natives  of  the  country  who 
travelled  to  the  Sudan  after  its  re-conquest,  brought  back  with 
them  the  culture  of  the  millet,  which  has  proved  an  abundant  source 

17  B 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

of  wealth  to  this  pretty  country,  formerly  so  poverty  stricken.  The 
village  is  perched  on  the  mountain,  fifty  yards  from  the  river,  and  is 
sufficiently  well  protected  from  the  attacks  of  the  robbers  who  some- 
times prowl  about  the  river  bank.  It  contains  about  fifty  houses, 
built  of  sandstone,  and  roofed  witli  dried  durrah.  The  population 
approaches  the  Berberine  type  rather  than  that  of  the  Arabs  of  the 
Said. 

The  roofless  quarries,  which  were  worked  in  ancient  times,  lie 
to  the  North,  between  El  Hosh  and  the  little  Khor  el  Ashurai. 
They  are  four  in  number,  and  we  will  distinguish  them,  starting 
from  the  North,  by  the  letters  A,  B,  C,  D.  The  quarry  A  is  by  the 
inhabitants  called  el  Maragha  el  db'it,  and  the  quarry  C  el  Hosh  abu 
Matar.  These  quarries  being  situated  close  to  the  river,  working 
them  was  an  easy  matter ;  the  stone  moreover  was  excellent,  and 
the  Greek  inscriptions  found  by  A.  C.  Harris  in  1857,  show  us  that 
it  was  still  in  use  in  the  eleventh  year  of  Antoninus. 

Together  with  these  inscriptions  engraved  on  the  unworked 
walls,  we  find  other  texts  composed  of  peculiar  characters,  for  the 
most  part  engraved  in  horizontal  lines.  These  characters  are  some- 
times carefully  sculptured  in  bas-relief,  sometimes  also  they  have  a 
double  outline.  The  most  beautiful  example  (Plate  I,  No.  16)  is 
found  in  the  centre  of  the  West  wall  of  quarry  A.  Carefully 
sculptured,  it  appears  to  be  the  ensign  of  the  quarry,  to  indicate  its 
name,  or  that  of  its  proprietor.  This  mark  or  inscription  is  com- 
posed of  two  signs  only — a  harpoon  and  a  circle  crossed  by  a 
horizontal  bar.  Sometimes  a  single  sign  only  is  engraved,  at  others 
the  engraver  was  more  ambitious ;  thus,  for  example.  No.  35 
(Plate  I)  contains  no  less  than  eleven  characters;  Nos.  12,  20, 
38,  44,  have  six  characters  each  ;  others  again  have  five  ;  all  which 
strike  one  as  an  assemblage  of  a  large  number  of  conventional  signs 
for  the  simple  purpose  of  a  stone-worker's  mark. 

In  the  collection  of  the  inscriptions  given  on  Plates  I  and  II  the 
Nos.  1-16,  and  No.  96,  come  from  quarry  A;  Nos.  17-73  from 
quarry  B  ;  Nos.  74-95  from  quarry  C.  The  Greek  text  No.  98 
comes  from  quarry  B,  those  which  follow,  from  quarry  C. 

I  do  not  think  that  these  inscriptions  are  very  ancient :  Greek 
letters  are  among  the  signs  employed,  and  sometimes  even  are 
intermixed  with  the  foreign  characters,  as,  for  example,  the  syllable 
riA  in  the  inscription  No.  88,  which  does  not  appear  to  be  in  any 
way  a  palimpsest.     On  the  other  hand,  we  find  the  typical  harpoons 

18 


Jan.  io]     INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  QUARRIES  OF  EL  HOSII.       [1906. 

engraved  not  far  from  the  Greek  texts  (see  Nos.  103,  104).  No- 
where else,  on  any  rock,  can  this  contiguity  of  signs  have  any 
determinative  value  ;  but  it  has  some  such  value  in  the  case  of  a 
quarry  which  is  being  worked,  where,  contrary  to  what  has  happened 
at  Gebel  Silsileh  and  TCira,  the  "  bench-marks  "  have  been 
neglected. 

We  will  admit  therefore,  pending  further  information,  that  the 
Greek  inscriptions  and  their  neighbours  are  contemporaneous,  and 
may  be  dated  under  the  reign  of  Antoninus. 

Can  we,  and  ought  we  to,  believe  that  these  signs,  so  numerous 
and  so  varied,  had  no  meaning  for  those  who  engraved  them? 
Such  an  idea  appears  to  me  impossible.  If  such  were  the  case  we 
must  also  disregard,  and  declare  to  be  meaningless,  the  Egyptian 

characters,    the    signs     T,    III?    ^^^v     ^.nd     even    the    cartouche 

(    O  s§  U  I )  which   are  found  as    marks  on  certain   stones  which 

come  from  Pharaonic  quarries.  My  own  opinion  is  that  when  we 
find  any  "  quarry-mark  "  on  a  block  of  stone,  it  may,  and  even  must, 
have  a  meaning,  just  as  much  as  the  hieroglyphic  or  hieratic  signs 
engraved  or  painted  in  red  in  the  Pharaonic  quarries.  These  last 
are  comprehensible  now  that  we  know  the  meaning  of  the  hieroglyphs, 
but  in  former  times  they  would  have  seemed  as  meaningless  as  the 
characters  of  El  Hosh. 

The  characters  T  ;/^r="good"  on  the  Pharaonic  stones  are 

not  an  invention  of  the  quarry-master  to  indicate  that  the  stone  was 
good ;  it  was  the  sign  and  word  belonging  to  the  language  of  his 
country  which  expressed  the  quality  he  attributed  to  the  stone  taken 

from  the  quarry.     The  presence  of  these  signs  T   does  not   lead   to 

the  conclusion  that  no  hieroglyphic  language  or  writing  existed  in 
which  this  sign  and  word  were  employed.  The  same  reasoning  is 
surely  applicable  to  the  inscriptions  from  EI  Hosh,  which  appear  to 
be  for  the  most  part  of  remarkable  length,  if  they  are  nothing  more 
than  the  conventional  marks  of  a  more  or  less  ignorant  quarry-man. 
On  Plate  III  I  have  arranged  77  of  these  signs — this  is  much  for  an 
unlettered  stone-dresser,  and  for  recalling  on  the  walls  of  a  quarry 
the  quality  of  stones  which  are  no  longer  there. 

If  we  regard  the  signs  from  El  Hosh  as  indicating  the  name  of 
the  owner  of  the  quarry,  or  his  limit  of  working,  we,  in  that  case, 

19  B    2 


Jan.  io]  society  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

ought  to  find  the  same  sign,  or  group  of  signs,  continually  repeated. 
Our  collection  of  the  texts  engraved  in  the  three  quarries  (Plates  I 
and  II)  shows  that  the  engravers  had  other  purposes  than  those 
which  they  seem  to  have  sometimes  expressed  in  a  somewhat  prolix 
manner,  as  for  example  in  the  inscription  No.  35.  But  the  mere 
fact  of  indicating  a  name  is  sufficient  to  raise  these  signs  to  the  rank 
of  characters  having  a  conventional  meaning  :  in  this  case  we  find 
ourselves  in  the  presence  of  an  unknown  writing,  and  perhaps  of  a 
language  that  we  have  yet  to  learn. 

We  have  not  a  sufficient  number  of  documents  to  allow  of  our 
venturing  very  far  in  this  hypothesis,  but  we  may  make  some  remarks 
on  the  characters. 

The  presence  of  signs  singly  or  in  groups  of  two  or  three  would 
appear  to  indicate  that  most  of  them  must  be  either  syllabic  or 
pictorial.  Their  great  number  would  moreover  go  to  show  that  we 
have  not  to  do  with  a  simi;)le  alphabet.  Moreover,  in  certain 
instances  we  find  Greek  or  Egyptian  characters  which  seem  to  have 
been  added  to  the  clearly  foreign  signs,  to  aid  or  assure  their  vocali- 
zation, which  is  an  indication  of  the  primitive  poverty  of  the  written 
system.  The  syllable  flA  may  be  the  phonetic  value  of  the  circle 
crossed  by  a  horizontal  bar  (No.  88).  The  direction  of  the  almost 
hieroglyphic  signs  of  the  text  No.  49  appears  to  indicate  a  reading 
from  right  to  left. 

The  whole  signs  may  be  divided  into  three  groups : — 

(1)  The  primitive  group,  among  which  I  put  the  circles,  har- 

poons, keys,  and  some  other  geometrical  signs. 

(2)  The  grotip  with  Greek  letters  added,  among  which  I  believe 

I  have  recognized  the  vowels  A   I   O  Y  and  the  con- 
sonants B  A  A  n. 

(3)  The  group  oj  pictorial  signs,  amoxigvi^iich  I  recognize  some 

hieroglyphic  signs. 

On  Plate  III  all  the  known  signs  are  collected  together.  It  is 
very  probably  incomplete,  and  we  must  look  to  the  discovery  of 
other  inscriptions  to  enrich  it. 

In  the  following  Table  I  give  in  one  column  the  reference  Nos. 
of  the  signs  on  Plate  III,  and  some  notes  on  the  signs ;  in  the  other 
column  will  be  found  the  reference  Nos.  of  the  Inscriptions,  given  on 
Plates  I  and  II,  in  which  each  sign  appears. 

20 


Jan.  io]    INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  QUARRIES  OF  EL  HOSH.       [1906. 


Plate  III. 
Signs. 

I 


A  curved  oblique  line    . 

A  vertical  line,  perhaps  the  Greek  iota 

Perhaps  the  hieroglyphic  sign  hU  am 

Perhaps  the  sign  J  hedj 

Harpoon  ?     . 


7- 
9,  10. 


13- 

14. 

15. 
16. 

17- 

18. 
19. 


These  two  signs  are  very  similar 
Taking  25,  which  is  more  carefully 
carved  than  the  others,  as  the  type,  I 
call  all  the  signs  from  9  to  26,  Har- 
poons. No.  9  is  found  on  the  right  of 
the  Greek  inscription  103. 

In  Inscription  No.  67  this  sign  ap- 
proaches the  form  of  an  anchor.  i^See 
sign  No.  92.) 


Plates  I  and  II. 

Inscriptions. 

Nos. 

12,     60,    63,    96 
64,     83,    87 

38 
69 

91 

96 
I,  7>  20,  25,  II, 
35'  36,  38,  52, 
56,  57,  60,  62, 
63,  72,  86,  89, 
93>  94,  96 

13.   14,  22 


15' 

17,  i9> 

29, 

31. 

34,  35, 

41, 

46, 

50,  62, 

63, 

65> 

67,  68, 

70, 

71, 

72,  73, 

78, 

79> 

82,  85, 

86, 

92, 

96 
24 
39 

3 

0,  37,  59 

3, 

1,  5,  ro> 

53, 

58,  61,  8 

I 

8,  42 

12 

64 

Jan.  io] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^£OLOGY 


[1906. 


Plate  III. 

Signs. 

20. 


21. 
22. 

23- 

24. 


The  second  example  of  this  sign  does 
not  come  from  El  Hosh.  My  copy 
was  made  from  an  engraving  of  it 
on  a  rock  at  Gebel  Rashidi,  some 
kilometres  further  North,  and  I  know 
of  other  signs  in  the  same  neighbour- 
hood. 


Plates  I  and  II. 

Inscriptions. 

Nos. 

9>    18)    35'    44) 
45,   46,   48,   62, 

66,   73>   77.   78, 
80,  88,  92,  94 

16,  82  (?) 

23>  43,  47, 

52  (?),   54 

6 

21,   97 


25- 



• 

28 

26. 

. 

. 

10 

27. 

Doubtful  and  ill  defined 

35 

31- 

I    suggest    the    name    "keys" 

for 

the 

45,  47 

signs  31  to  41. 

32. 

19, 

33i  34 

33- 

35, 

54,  65 

34. 

55 

35- 

8 

36. 

37 

37- 

43 

38. 

56 

39- 

7^ 

40. 

44 

Jan.  io]     INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  QUARRIES  OF  EL  HOSII.      [1906. 


Plate  III. 
Signs. 

41 

45.  This  sign,  the  most  frequent  of  all,  does 
not  appear  to  be  the  Greek  0.  The 
sign  No.  82  must  be  its  most  perfect 
form,  and  the  two  inscriptions  82  and 
92,  are  similar.  The  inscription  88, 
seems  to  indicate  the  reading  HA  or 
An,  for  this  sign. 


46.     Probably  not  the  Greek 


47.      Perhaps   a   compound    of  two   difterent 
characters. 


48. 

49. 

50- 



51- 



52. 

Perhaps  the  same  as  45           .          .          . 

53- 

See  the  Egyptian  hieroglyph  ® 

23 

Plates  I  and  11. 

I 

nscriptions. 

Nos. 

47 

I, 

2,  8,   9, 

12, 

15. 

16,  17, 

18, 

20, 

21,   25, 

26, 

29, 

30,   31, 

34, 

35> 

36,  37, 

38, 

39, 

40,  42, 

43, 

44, 

48,  49, 

50, 

52, 

53,   54, 

55, 

56, 

57,  60, 

6r, 

62, 

63,  66, 

67, 

71, 

72,   74, 

75, 

76 

(?),    77, 

78, 

80, 

81,  82, 

83, 

85, 

86,  87, 

88, 

90, 

91,  92, 

94, 

96 

7, 

10,    II, 

12, 

14, 

19,   20, 

22, 

45, 

46,  47, 

58, 

59, 

65,   68, 
8 

87 
83 
83 
10 

76 
64 

70 

Jan.  10]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Plates  I  and  II. 

Plate  III.  Inscriptions. 

Signs.  Nos. 

56.     This    sign    is    found    in   other    places  8,   20,    21,     22, 

besides     El    Hosh,    for    example    at  29,   35,  38,   42, 

Naukratis,    cf.     Petrie,    Naukratis    I,  44,  52,   55,  66, 

PL    XXXIV,    fig.    397B,  and   also  on  67,  68,  69,   74, 
rocks,    and    blocks    of    stone    in    the 
neighbourhood  of  El  Hosh. 

57 40 

58 71 

59 85 

It  appears  to  me  that  eight  Greek  letters 
can  be  recognized,  to  which  may  be 
added  the  sign  No.  2  if  we  regard  it  as 
the  Greek  iota,  thus  completing  the 
series  of  the  vowels  A,  I,  O,  Y,  and 
the  consonants  B,  A,  A,  fl. 

63.     A,  is  found  under  the  same  form  in  the  36,  52,  88 

Greek  inscriptions  99,   100,   loi.  102, 
103,  104,  105,  106. 

64-     B 35.  56 

65.  A(?) 87 

66.  A  see  the  Greek  inscriptions,  as  above  .  35,  84.  86 

67.  O  (?)    see    the    Greek    inscriptions,    as         8  (?),     10,     84, 

above.  86  (?) 

68.  n 88 

69.  Y  see  Nos.  98,  103,  104,  106        .         .  84 
70-     4>  (?) 70 

Some  signs  are  borrowed  from  hieroglyphs. 

74.     "^  her^  the  face     .....  95 

7"^.     ^2^  ari,  the  eye  .....  49 

24 


Jan.  io]     INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  QUARRIES  OF  EL  h6SII.      [1906. 


Plate  III. 
Signs. 

77,  79- 


f 


ankh 


80,  Si.     Q,    0    =   '= 


shen 


86. 


87. 


88. 


(?)     ■ 


^  =  p*J 


89.     -\V-  am  (?)  see  sign  No.  3 


91, 


// 


Other  signs  apparently  from  different  sources. 
73.     A  Dolphin    ..... 
78.     A  Foot 

82.  This   does  not  appear  to    be   the    sign 

@  No.  46.     ^V^  sign  No.  45. 

83,  84.     Branches  of  a  tree   .... 

85.     Arrow  ....... 

90.     A  Graeco-Syrian  Altar  .... 

92.     Anchor  ...... 


Plates  I  and  II. 
Inscriptions. 

Nos. 

SO 
26,  47,  82 
38 

39 
49,  62 

95 

49 
34 


44,  45'  47 
£1,  9o(?) 

93 
27 


I  have  left  vacant  spaces  in  the  Plate  of  signs,  as  I  am  satisfied 
it  is  far  from  complete.  It  is  most  desirable  that  we  should  ascertain 
if  similar  Inscriptions  do  not  exist  elsewhere,  and  if  so  to  add  them  to 
those  which  I  have  here  grouped  together.  I  myself  know  of  some 
examples  of  the  signs  Nos.  8,  18,  20,  56  (Plate  III),  engraved  on  the 
rocks  outside  the  quarries  in  the  country  around  El  Hosh,  between 
Gebel  Rashidi  and  Gebel  Silsileh.  It  is  by  forming  a  sort  of  Corpus 
of  the  Inscriptions  that  we  shall  be  the  better  enabled  to  arrive  at 
the  conclusion  that  these  singular  characters  are  probably  not  simply 

25 


Jan.  ioJ  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-EOLOGY.  [1906. 

Stone-workers'  marks,  but  are  real  characters  which  have  served  to 
transcribe  a  foreign  language  that  the  future  may  perhaps  enable  us 
to  understand. 


Note  kv  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce. 


I  have  copied  similar  groups  of  characters,  elsewhere  in  Upper 
Egypt,  the  following  examples  are  from  El-Kab. 

On  an  isolated  rock  quarried  in  the  Vlth  dynasty  mine  to  the 

East  of  Hilal,  is  an  a7ikh  and  [J]  T<  . 

In  the  Ptolemaic  quarries  behind  Mahamid  are  an  Altar  (Plate 
III,  No.  90) :  the  branch  (No.  83) :  the  ankk  (No.  86) :  and  a 
character  '-jp  which  I  have  found  elsewhere  as  well  as  in  an 
inscription  of  the  Middle  Empire  near  Assuan. 


26 


PLATE  I. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Air/i.,  Jan.,  1906. 


IMS 


ioeiiii0r^x©n 


u 


em\(^o(Dt 


e^teto 


\5 


i(DJett9erem0 


•eo 


l^ 


iL 


45 


i.A 


15 


T9Z 
a)f(D 


'^[Oj 


.Li. 


il 


^© 


X^/ 


et^r 


^L 


"^-^ 


li. 


«3 


ixet 


io 


5i 


55 


3>k 


el  ®^Qt  * 


ntiMoi 


36 


Aer 


Al 


flet 


fel1et+U0xllt<D 


u(, 


!ll0Gt 


ill. 


t@T 


* 


G 


50 


Eel? 


55 


56 


5? 


15 56 


ZG  ©jr+  ©n+  (Di  01 


bi 


6^ 


feT 


6ii 


65- 


'^e.|e[intQTf  Oil 


tezlittQQfcDjxfi^ito 


INSCRIPTIONS    FROM    THE    QUARRIES    OF    EL    HUSH. 


PLATE    II. 


Proc.  Soc.  Rihl.  Arch.,  Jan.,  1906. 


?i 


H 


76 


ne] 


J  et  II  x|Q+0^| 


n 


7i 


7S 


40 


&i 


ret  T  tet  qi  lei 


gs 


PT 


i5. 


(-^le^GQe  ToA-^te^ 


90 


ertoTtt  fei^wt<f 


9b 


T 


97 


98 


ApCYNJ-H  n  ^TE  f^  0 1^  ^ '=^ 


95 


MKXAMIKOC 


AnOAAU^NlOC 


oQ: 


AnoMto/vioc" 


jol 


103 


LlA  A/VrLJ/ViA/OCMeCOPH  ~^        L/AA/vruovwocj 

OA/|AOCelCMAee^j€K  AnoXAu^cntTt     ,/.xoyMioc| 

€nArA0uy 
LTAA^)Ta;/v//voc€KO'f'AM6^^ 

A  TOVCMtfAAOYCAieoVc    .    .' 

1         nnXLuN  yA^lCTHN^vAH^/'': 
ToYKypioy  AnoXX  lu^-'//:,,.  . 


loa 


10i< 


lA'^^XNTu?     ■^jvk;ai<;apoc 
*^ATu;-       ^'CAieph^iKCK^ 
105 


noyro  kw        "phkc 

■^  106 


INSCRIPTIONS    FROM    THE    QUARRIES    OF    EL    IIOSH. 


PLATE    III. 


Proi.  Soc.  Bibl.  Airli.,  Jan.,  1906. 


/" 


I 


Z5 


\ 


L 


^ 


57 

a 


A 


i^ 


T 


t 


\ 


I 


Ps 


I 


A 


+ 


-''7 


© 


+ 


I 


1 


\ 


\ 


T 


] 


? 


C=3 


O 


75 


n 


So 


58 


i 


& 


r\ 


^ 


/ 


I 


i3 


J 


e 


53 


© 


C    ) 


/ 


I 


1 


(D 


s^ 


65 


Y 


f 


fA  !i'5 


9i 


'^ 


/ 


IOC  101 


0 


7« 

17 


1 


1 


I 


hi 

1 


I 


0 


56 


A 


9A 


79 


j; 


^ 


^ 


7-!- 


go 


H 


«s 


35 


96 


TABLK   OF   THK    SIGNS   WHICH    OCCUR    IN    THE    IXSCRIITIUNS 

I    TO  97. 


Jan.   io]         NOTE  ON  A  HITTITE  INSCRirTION  (J.  ii).  [1906. 


NOTE    ON    A    HITTITE    INSCRIPTION    (J.  11). 
By  E.  Sieree,  M.A. 
The  inscription  known  as  J.  11  begins  witli  the  words 

I  ^  fe  (2^  3DDD  /  I  ^  M    • 


123  4  5         6  7       8         9  10 

No.  9  has  long  been  recognized  as  the  symbol  for  "country." 
M.  Six  has  discovered  that  Nos.  3-6  represent  the  Hittite  name  of 
Carchemish,  7  being  the  determinative  of  place.  May  not  9  also 
be  a  determinative  in  the  above  instance  ?  If  so,  is  it  the  deter- 
minative of  8  or  10?  In  cuneiform  the  determinative  of  place 
(asru)  is  affixed  to  a  place-name,  the  determinative  of  country 
itndtu)  being  prefixed  to  the  name  of  a  country,  as  in  the  following 
passage  in  the  Sinjerli  inscription  of  Esarhaddon  (1.  14)  : — 

<^  ^-I  5.^?  -Hf-  ^-yi  <^    j^:?^   -"  ^I  V  -IH 

sakkanak  Babili  (DA)        sar    (DP)  Su-me  -   ri 

Governor  {or  High  Priest)  of  Babylon,  king    of   Sumer 

If  the  Hittite  arrangement  of  determinatives  is  the  same  as  the 
Assyrian,  then  9  will  be  the  determinative  prefix  of  10 — the  name 
of  a  country.  It  also  follows  that  8,  which  looks  like  a  lamb's  head, 
will  be  the  symbol  for  "king";  cf.  the  Sumerian 'word  ii?nun,  mean- 
ing both  "sheep  or  lamb"  and  "king"  {sarii)  (vid.  Ball,  "  Accadian 
Affinities,"  Trans.  IX  Congr.  of  Orientalists,  Vol.  II,  p.  693  ; 
Sayce,  /issyrian  Grammar,  p.  29).  Again,  if  3-6  is  the  name  of 
Carchemish,  then  i,  2,  may  be  a  word  meaning  "governor,"  or  the 
like.      Now,  if  we  compare  i,  2,  with  the  linear  form  of  {^  ""i^fj 

viz.,  nzz]    \7  ,  prototype  also  of  the  Egyptian    ]  y  ,  we  shall  see  that 

A  '^ 

27 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.IiOLOGY.  [1906. 

2  bears   some   resemblance    to    the    first    symbol,  while  i   may  be 

compared  with  the  abridged  form    V  ,  of  the  second  symbol.     The 

transposition  of  the  symbols  m  the  Hittite  is  due  probably  to 
causes  similar  to  those  which  occasioned  the  change  in  reading 
of  -^yy  ^::y  zu-ab  in  Sumerian  to  C^y  ^>^\  ab-zii  in  Assyrian. 
Again,  the  immediate  prototype   of  the    Hittite   symbol    No.   2  is 

possibly  not  the  above  Babylonian  symbol,  but   \~i   (=  ""^fyy)) 

"  dagger,"  since  both  this  symbol  and  the  above  had  the  same 
phonetic  values,  gir,  iner.  If  so,  the  Hittite  symbol  which  re- 
sembles a  dagger  must  be  regarded  as  merely  due  to  a  confusion 
of  signs  which  arose  in  the  Babylonian  prototype  of  the  phrase. 
The  word  represented  by  i,  2,  may  be  rendered  either  "governor" 
or  "  high  priest." 

We  niight  then  translate  the  opening  words  of  J  11  as  "Governor 
of  the  city  of  Carchemish,  King  of  the  land  of  .  .     " 


28 


Jan.  io]    OBSERVATIONS  ON  ANCIENT  HISTORY  OF  EGYPT.     [1906. 


OBSERVATIONS    ON    THE    ANCIENT    HISTORY    OF 

EGYPT. 

By  Prof.  J.  Lieblein. 

I  long  since  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  Egyptian  civihzation, 
as  manifested  in  its  most  developed  form  on  the  monuments  of  the 
period  of  the  pyramids,  commenced  in  prehistoric  times,  probably 
several  centuries,  or  rather  some  thousands  of  years,  before  Menes. 
It  originated  in  that  part  of  the  Valley  of  the  Nile  which  extends 
from  Heliopolis  in  the  North  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Abydos  on 
the  South,  that  is  to  say,  from  30°  to  26^°  of  latitude. 

It  is  this  district,  containing  the  cities  Heliopolis,  Heracleopolis 
Magna,  Hermopolis,  and  Panopolis,  which  is  exclusively  mentioned 
in  the  most  ancient  part  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead — Chapter  XVII — 
which  relates  the  history  of  the  creation  of  the  world.  It  is  here 
that  the  Sun  was  the  principal  deity,  Ra,  Horus,  Tum,  and  that 
Heliopolis,  the  place  of  his  worship,  was  the  holy  city,  the  most 
ancient  centre  of  Egyptian  civilization.  In  short,  it  is  here  that 
lived  the  people  who  represented  the  Egyptians,  properly  so  called, 
and  whom  we  may  designate  the  "  Heliopolitan  people." 

To  the  North  of  this  district,  in  the  swamp  of  the  Delta,  lived 
the  Semitic  immigrants  from  the  adjacent  Asia,  with  their  deity 
Set-Typhon,  who  is  doubtless  to  be  identified  with  the  Seth  of  the 
Bible  (Gen.  v,  3  ss.),  and  with  the  god  Set  of  the  Khetas,  mentioned 
in  the  treaty  between  the  Khetas  and  Rameses  II. 

To  the  South,  beyond  This — Abydos  and  Negadah — lived  a  third 
people,  immigrant  perhaps  from  the  Red  Sea  littoral,  whose  kings  at 
the  very  commencement  of  historic  times  constructed  the  tombs  at 
Negadah,  and  above  all  at  Abydos.  These  immigrants,  whom  we 
may  call  the  "Abydenian  People,"  finally  settled  at  Abydos,  and 
when  they  had  become  accustomed  to  their  new  surroundings,  and 
felt  themselves  strong  enough  to  continue  the  conquest  of  the 
country,  one  of  their  kings,  Menes,  went  northwards,  subjugated  the 

29 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/liOLOGV.  [1906. 

Heliopolitan  Egyptians  and  founded,  for  the  first  time,  the  Egyptian 
Empire.  Osiris  of  Abydos  was  his  god,  and  as  the  god  of  a  people 
shared  the  lot  of  his  people,  Osiris  became  at  first  the  principal  deity 
of  the  Empire.  The  worship  of  the  solar  god  Horus  was  so  firmly 
established  among  the  most  civilized  Egyptians,  that  the  necessity 
for  a  compromise  was  very  soon  felt.  Osiris  became  the  father, 
Horus  the  son.  But  later  the  worship  of  Horus  took  the  ascendancy 
over  that  of  Osiris,  and  as  the  moral  sense  became  simultaneously 
developed,  the  relative  position  of  the  two  gods  became  thus  fixed  : 
Osiris  as  the  dead  god  became  the  supreme  judge  in  the  other 
■world,  while  Horus  as  living  god  was  king  on  earth.  The  Book  of 
the  Dead,  Chapter  XVH,  5  ss.,  expressly  says  :  "  I  am  yesterday 
and  I  know  the  morrow.  Yesterday  is  Osiris,  to-morrow  is  Ra,  in 
that  day  on  which  he  has  killed  the  enemies  of  the  Universal  Lord, 
and  on  which  he  has  given  the  royalty  to  his  son  Horus.  In  other 
words,  it  is  the  day  on  which  we  celebrate  the  finding  of  the  coffin 
of  Osiris."  Again,  1.  69  ss. :  "  He  to  whom  is  given  the  royal  crown 
and  joy  in  Heracleopolis  Magna,  is  Osiris.  It  is  given  to  him  to 
rdgn  over  the  gods  in  that  day  on  which  the  two  countries  (Upper 
and  Lower  Egypt)  are  established  before  the  Universal  Lord.  He 
who  is  ordered  to  reign  over  the  gods,  is  Horus,  son  of  Osiris,  who 
governs  in  the  place  of  his  father  Osiris.  The  day  of  establishing 
the  two  countries,  it  is  the  union  of  the  two  countries  (Upper  and 
Lower  Egypt)  on  the  burial  of  Osiris." 

This,  in  my  opinion,  means,  when  Menes  had  finished  the  war 
by  a  decisive  battle,  and  had  united  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt 
under  one  rule,  so  Osiris  had  at  the  same  time  began  to  reign  over 
the  gods.  He  was  "yesterday."  But  the  morrow  was  Horus,  who 
after  the  death  of  Osiris  took  the  government  in  place  of  his  father. 
All  is  clear  and  simple,  without  either  ambiguity  or  mystery. 

The  usual  name  of  this  god  is  "  Osiris,  Lord  of  Abydos,"  a  name 
which  indicates  that  he  was  in  fact  the  local  god  of  Abydos.  As  a 
dead  god  he  is  called  "  Khentament,"  /le  who  is  in  Amenti,  the  god 
of  the  dead.  A  third  name  of  this  god  is  "  Osiris  Lord  of  Mendes," 
a  name,  however,  which  does  not  indicate  that  his  worship  originated 
in  Mendes ;  on  the  contrary,  we  know  that  instead  of  being  a  primi- 
tive deity  at  Mendes,  he  was  introduced  there  at  a  later  time.  For 
in  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  XVII,  42  j.,  we  read,  "  I  am  a 
soul  in  its  two  twins.  Osiris  enters  into  Mendes,  he  finds  the  soul 
of  Ra  there;    then  they  unite  the   one  with    the   other   and   they 

30 


Jan.  10]    OBSERVATIONS  ON  ANCIENT  HISTORY  OF  EGYPT.    [1906. 

become  his  soul  in  his  two  twins  :  It  is  Horus,  avenger  of  his  father 
and  Horus-Khont  meriti.  In  other  words  :  the  soul  in  his  two 
twins  is  the  soul  of  Ra  with  the  soul  of  Osiris."  This  is  a  perfectly 
clear  and  authentic  statemeni  to  the  effect  that  at  a  later  epoch  a 
new  worship  of  Osiris  was  introduced  into  Mendes,  to  be  united 
with  the  ancient  worship  of  Ra. 

Menes  has  therefore,  by  his  victory,  not  only  united  the  two 
countries — the  Abydenian  and  the  Heliopolitan  peoples — into  a 
single  empire,  but  he  has  also  arranged  a  compromise  between  the 
worship  of  Ra  and  that  of  Osiris,  which  last  has  in  course  of  time 
become  changed  into  a  worship  of  the  dead. 

With  regard  to  the  third  people,  the  Semites  who  had  wandered 
to  the  North  in  the  swamp  of  the  Delta,  they  were  not  yet  subjected 
to  the  new  empire,  but  this  probably  took  place  under  the  last  kings 
of  the  Ilnd  dynasty.  At  least,  we  know  from  M.  Amelineau's 
excavations  at  Abydos,  a  king  Khasekhemui,  last  king  of  the 
Ilnd  dynasty,  or,  as  M.  Maspero  thinks,  one  of  the  kings  of  the 
Ilird  dynasty,  whose  name  appears  below  two  symbols  which 
represent  the  gods  Horus  and  Set.  Prof.  Petrie  in  his  History 
(I,  28*,  5th  ed.)  writes  as  follows  of  the  clay  sealings  of  this  king : 
"  In  every  case  the  name  is  surmounted  by  both  Set  and  Horus ; 
face  to  face  where  the  name  is  of  the  full  form ;  both  the  same  way 
where  the  shorter  form  is  used."  Again,  on  page  27*,  speaking  of 
Khasekhem,  whom  he  regards  as  the  predecessor  of  Khasekhemui, 
but  who  was  probably  the  same  person,  he  writes:  "The  seated 
figures  (of  Khasekhem)  are,  one  in  slate  and  the  other  in  hard 
limestone.  Around  the  base  of  each  figure  is  a  row  of  slain 
enemies,  and  on  the  front  is  the  inscription   'Northern  enemiei^.' 

these  can  hardly  be  of  the  Nile  valley,  nor  are  they  likely 

to  be  Sinaites,  as  such  are  not  termed  Northern." 

All  this  accords  perfectly  well  with  my  views,  long  since 
expressed,  on  the  most  ancient  history  of  Egypt.^ 

The  "  Northern  enemies "  were  the  Semites  who  dwelt  in  the 
Delta,  and  the  "  two  tribes  of  Horus  and  Set  worshippers  "  were  the 
Egyptians  represented  by  their  god  Horus,  and  the  Semites  repre- 
sented by  their  god  Set.  The  war  between  the  Egyptians  and  the 
Semites  was  long  and  fierce,  but  at  last  terminated,  probably  under 
the  reign  of  Khasekhemui  of  either  the  Ilnd  or  Ilird  dynasty.     A 

*  J.  LiEBLEiN,  GarnmelcEgyptische  Relig.,  Kristiania,  1883,  I,  81,  ss. 

31 


Jan.  io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.tOLOGY.  [1906. 

compromise,  analogous  to  that  between  Osiris  and  Horus,  was  made 
between  Horus  and  Set,  by  which  Set  as  god  of  the  Semites  obtained 
a  place  by  the  side  of  Horus. 

From  the  time  of  Khasekhemui,  all  Egypt,  from  the  Medi- 
terranean to  the  First  Cataract,  with  its  inhabitants  of  different 
nationalities,  was  then  united  in  one  empire.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  this  period  several  colonies  had  been  founded.    Southwards  : 

(i)  Oii-Denderah,  with  the  goddess  Hathor  ;  here  the  names  ot 
the  town  and  goddess  recall  the  Heliopolitan  town  and 
goddess. 

(2)  On  {Oni)  Esna. 

(3)  On  of  the  South  Hertnonthis. 

The  two  last  were  probably  Heliopolitan  colonies ;  at  least  their 
names  recall  the  name  of  On-Heliopolis. 

(4)  Nubi-Ombos(?),  with  its  double  worship  of  Set  and  Horus. 

As  to  the  colonies  in  the  North,  we  may  be  tempted  to  regard 
Sais  as  a  colony  of  Sh'it.  The  hieroglyphic  names  of  these  two 
towns  closely  resemble  each  other  in  some  of  their  variants,  and  the 
two  towns.  Upper  Sau  and  Lower  Sau,  named  in  the  Book  of  the 
Dead,  Chapter  CXLH,  3  and  4,  may  very  well  be  Siut  and  Sais. 

The  high  civilization,  that  the  monuments  of  Snofru  and  of  the 
other  kings  of  the  IVth  dynasty  attest,  commenced  in  Middle  Egypt 
thousands  of  years  before  the  immigration  of  the  Abydenian  people 
in  the  South,  and  can  certainly  not  have  been  developed  in  the 
short  space  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  that  separated  the  rude 
Royal  Tombs  at  Abydos  from  the  fine  monuments  of  Snofru's 
period  at  Memphis. 


32 


Jan.   lo]  EGVrTIAN  MAGICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 


THE  ASTROLOGICAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  EGYPTL-VN 
MAGICAL   WANDS. 

By  Margaret  A.  Murray. 

In  looking  over  the  very  interesting  drawings  and  photographs 
of  magical  ivory  wands  published  by  Mr.  Legge  in  the  May  number 
of  the  Proceedings,  one  is  struck  by  two  things  :  first,  by  the  number  ^ 
of  figures  having  reference  to  birth,  and,  second,  by  the  extraordinary 
number  of  signs  having  reference  to  astronomy.  The  combination 
of  birth  and  astronomy  points  to  only  one  conclusion,  Horoscopes. 

The  "  science"  of  astrology  is  very  ancient.  Horoscopes  of  the 
kings  of  the  XlXth  and  XXth  dynasties  still  remain  to  us,  and  it  is 
evident  that  these  are  not  the  first  of  their  kind.  The  Egyptians, 
even  in  primitive  times,  had  a  fair  knowledge  of  astronomy ;  and  as 
astrology  always  precedes  the  exact  science,  we  may  safely  say  that 
if  the  Egyptians,  at  some  primitive  period  of  which  the  date  is  lost, 
knew  sufficient  astronomy  to  reform  their  calendar  and  base  it  upon 
astronomical  data,  they  also  were  able  to  cast  a  nativity  from  the 
stars  and  set  down  the  result  in  conventional  signs  and  figures. 

To  take  the  signs  of  Birth  first.  These  consist  of  three,  Taurt, 
Bes,  and  Heqt.  Taurt,  goddess  of  birth  and  of  magical  protection, 
and  Bes,  god  of  birth  and  of  magic^  are  constantly  represented 
over  the  doors  of  the  royal  birth-chapels  in  the  temples ;  and  in 
representations  of  the  birth  of  a  monarch,  Taurt  and  Bes  are  in 
conspicuous  positions.  It  may  be  noted  that  Bes  as  god  of  birth  is 
not  quite  the  same  as  Bes  in  his  other  roles  of  god  of  pleasure  and 
of  war.     As  god  of  birth,  he  wears  no  head-dress  or  other  insignia, 

'  'Y\\e:  figure  numbers  given  V)elow  refer  to  Mr.  Legge's  Paper  on  ''  Magical 
Ivories  "  in  the  Ma}'  number  of  the  Froceedijigs  of  the  current  year  ;//«/<?  numbers 
to  the  plates  accompanying  this  Paper. 

13  ^- 


Ian.   io]  sOCIETV   OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGV.  [1906. 

and  his  hands  are  either  empty,  or  more  usually  he  holds  a  snake 
in  each.  Taurt  the  hippopotamus  has  always  been  identified  as  the 
goddess  of  birth,  and  these  wands  are  made  of  hippopotamus  ivory, 
an  appiopriate  material  if  they  are  used  for  recording  the  date  of 
birth  and  the  prognostications  to  be  derived  from  that  date.  The 
frog-goddess  Heqt,  wife  of  Khnum  the  creator,  is  also  a  birth- 
goddess,  as  is  shown  in  the  story  of  the  birth  of  the  kings  of  the 
Vth  dynasty  (Westcar  Papyrus),  where  Heqt  comes  with  Isis, 
Nephthys,  Meskhent,  and  Khnum  to  assist  at  the  birth.  Taurt,  Bes, 
or  Heqt  occur  on  all  the  wands,  except  No.  7,  a  few  small  fragments 
(and  the  one  from  the  Hood  Collection  recently  published). 

The  astronomical  signs  are,  as  might  be  expected,  more  varied 
than  those  of  birth,  including,  as  they  do,  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
the  planets,  and  the  dekan-stars.  The  £:igns  required,  if  all  the 
constellations  and  stars  were  represented,  would  be : — 

Signs  of  the  Zodiac. 

Planets. 

Stars  and  constellations  of  the  dekans. 

Deities  of  the  dekans. 

Symbols  of  the  dekades. 

Deities  of  the  dekades. 

Besides  signs  which  refer  to  other  constellations.  This  number  is 
far  beyond  those  figured  on  the  wands,  on  which  there  are,  roughly, 
about  sixty  signs  represented. 

Signs  of  the  Zodiac. — The  Egyptian  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  as 
given  at  Denderah,  are  the  same  as  our  own,  with  the  exception  of 
Cancer,  which  is  there  given  as  a  scarab.  In  the  star  maps  of  the 
Tombs  of  the  Kings,  the  Scorpion  is  represented  by  the  goddess 
Serq,  showing  that  a  constellation  keeps  its  name,  though  the 
representation  of  it  may  change.  The  Zodiac  of  Esneh  gives 
Gemini  as  a  double-headed  animal  {Desc.  de  I'Egypfe,  I,  pi.  87) ; 
we  may  therefore  take  the  double-sphinx  to  be  the  sign  Cemini, 
which  in  the  Zodiac  of  Denderah  is  represented  by  the  twin  deities, 
Shu  and  Tefnut.  Shu  and  Tefnut  are  often  represented  elsewhere 
as  a  double  lion,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  in  the  lion  with  two 
human  heads  the  double  lion,  which  is  the  representation  of  Shu 
and  Tefnut.  Another  proof  that  these  are  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac 
is  given  in  fig.  2,  where  the  figures  of  a  scarab  and  a  ram-headed 
man  are  divided  off  from  the  rest  of  the  signs  and  from  each  other 

34 


Jan.   io]  EGVrTIAN  MACxICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 

by  straight  lines.  In  a  well-drawn  horoscope,  the  Houses  are 
divided  from  each  other  by  lines  ;  in  a  modern  horoscope,  each 
house  is  numbered,  and  the  sign  of  the  Zodiac  to  which  it  belongs  is 
written  above  it  by  its  astrological  symbol,  and  wirhin  the  House  is 
the  astronomical  symbol  of  any  planet  which  happens  to  occur  in 
that  sign.  In  this  early  astrology  the  representation  is  more  simple  ; 
the  House  is  given  with  only  the  sign  of  the  Zodiac  to  which  it 
belong^;,  in  this  instance  Aries  and  Cancer. 

Here  then  are  four  out  of  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac  which 
appear  on  the  wands  : — 

Ram,  or  ram-headed  god  =  Aries. 
Double-sphinx  =   Gemini. 

Scarab  =   Cancer. 

Goddess  =  Scorpio. 

Planets. — The  planets  are  seven  in  number:  Saturn,  Jupiter, 
Mars,  Sol,  Venus,  Mercury,  and  Luna,  and,  according  to  the  ancient 
Greek  usage,  which  has  descended  to  our  times,  they  each  rule 
two  Houses  (i.e.,  signs  of  the  Zodiac),  with  the  exception  of  Sol 
and  Luna,  which  rule  only  one  apiece. 

Brugsch  says  (Aegyptologie,  p.  338)  that  Egyptian  astrology 
recognised  the  same  order,  except  that  Jupiter  and  Mars  change 
places,  Jupiter  ruling  Aries  and  Scorpio,  Mars,  Sagittarius  and 
Pisces  ;  I  am,  however,  inclined  to  think  that  the  order  was  the 
same  as  the  Greek.  The  Houses  of  the  Exaltations  of  the  planets 
appear,  from  the  only  indications  left,  to  have  been  the  same  in 
Egypt  as  in  modern  times.  To  quote  from  a  mnemonic 
rhyme,  "The  Moon  is  exalted  in  Taurus,"  and  at  Esneh  and 
Denderah  {Desc.  de  FE^ypte,  I  79,  and  IV,  pi.  20)  the  bull,  which 
represents  Taurus,  carries  on  his  back  the  disk  of  the  moon.  We 
may  therefore  conclude  that,  if  astrology  has  hardly  changed  in  the 
2000  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  building  of  the  Denderah 
temple  until  the  present  day,  it  is  hardly  likely  to  have  changed 
even  as  much  in  the  2500  years  which  divide  these  ivory  wands  from 
the  Denderah  temple. 

The  planets  are  represented  at  Denderah  as  hawks,  distinguished 
from  one  another  by  the  crowns  which  they  wear,  but  their  charac- 
teristics are  so  marked  that  in  other  places  they  are  figured  in  other 
shapes. 

35 


JAN.   lo]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILKOLOGV.  [1906. 


lupitcr  is.  I  l)elic\c.  always  a  hawk,  liis  name  being  >^\/ 


Hor-up-shtla,  which  Brugsch  {Atxxpfologie,  \>.  336)  says  is  the  official 
name  of  Osiris  as  king. 

Saturn   is  called     ^   f=^  /v?   Pet,    '•  Hull  of  heaven,"  and   is 

represented  as  a  bull-headed  man. 

Mars  is  called   v^  Ilorak/ifi,  and  is  figured  as  a  sun    O.       In 

Graeco-Roman  times  he  is  called    V\    r~'^r-\   ffor-dcslic);  '''Yhc   red 

Horus";  in  Greek,  'E/>70fT/  or  'A/j7»;>,\  This  planet  is  often  considered 
to  be  feminine  among  the  Egyptians,  and  called  Ilor  deshert. 

The  Sun  as  a  planet  is  represented  (Mariette,  Bender  ah,  IV,  76) 
as  a  disk  on  legs  walking  u])on  the  body  of  the  sky-goddess  Nut. 

\'enus  is  identified  with  thi'  Bennu-bird  of  Osiris,  and  in  late 
times  is  called  |  i<:  py  /lefer  diia,  "The  god  of  the  Morning-star." 
Venus  is  always  masculine  in  Eg\pt. 

Mercury    has    two    names,     1       S  ^    or     I    1^;=^  Sebek    the 

crocodile,  and    1^ Set.     Perhaps  it  would  be  more  correct  to  say 

that  Sebek  is  his  own  name,  and  Set  the  god  to  whom  he  is 
dedicated ;  but  according  to  the  Egyptian  method  he  may  be 
represented  either  as  a  crocodile  or  as  the  Set-animal. 

The  Moon  is  commonly  represented  as  the  Sacred  Eye,  either 
alone  or  carried  by  the  ape  which  is  the  emblem  of  the  Moon-god 
Thoth. 

Dek.\ns. — The  Dekans  and  Dekades  offer  the  chief  difficulties  ; 
the  former  may  be  represented  by  their  own  symbols,  or  under  the 
forms  of  the  gods  wliich  govern  them  ;  and  as  there  are  36  dekans, 
that  makes  72  figures  which  can  be  used.  Brugsch  {T/ics.,  p.  18) 
gives  the  names  and  symbols  of  58  dekades,  the  number  of  snakes 
among  the  symbols  being  quite  remarkable.  The  dekans  denote 
dates,  and  therefore  their  importance  in  a  horoscope  would  be 
second  only  to  the  Houses  and  the  planets. 

CONSTRI-LATIONS.   Among  the  constellations  "which  are  behind 

Sothis  "  are  ^ V"^^  shethu,  "the  tortoise"'  and  — " —  _^^  V\ 

nesni,  "  Elame  (?)." 

36 


Jan.   io]  EGYPTIAN  MAGICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 

Taurt  figures  largely  as  a  constellation  in  all  Egyptian  star-maps, 
but  in  the  earlier  ones  invariably  with  a  crocodile  on  her  back  ; 
Taurt  without  the  crocodile  cannot  be  intended  for  the  constellation. 

The  constellation  round  the  Pole  is  represented  by  a  jackal,  and 
this  is  striking  when  we  remember  that  as  a  rule  one  end  of  the 
wands  bears  a  jackal's  head.  The  other  end  has  a  lion's  head,  in 
which  I  would  see  the  sign  Leo ;  the  two  together  representing  the 
solstices,  Summer  and  Winter,  North  and  South. 

In  applying  this  theory  of  their  astrological  use  to  the  wands,  I 
find  that  it  is  upheld  in  so  many  instances  as  to  induce  me  to  believe 
that  it  is  the  true  solution.  Although  I  cannot  identify  every  sign, 
yet  enough  can  be  identified  with  the  planets  and  the  signs  of  the 
Zodiac  to  prove  the  fact  of  their  astrological  purpose,  and  the  signs 
of  birth  on  each  one  shows  that  it  was  birth-astrology. 

Fig.  3.  In  the  Zodiac  of  Denderah  we  find  Cancer  represented 
as  a  beetle,  in  Zodiacs  of  the  Tombs  of  tlie  Kings  Scorpio  is  always 
figured  as  a  goddess,  i.e.,  as  a  woman,  with  her  name  Serq  above  her. 
These  two  constellations  hold  the  same  place  on  the  different  sides 
of  the  wand,  and  may  therefore  be  considered  as  equally  important. 
A  true  birth-horoscope  should  be  counted  from  the  time,  not  merely 
of  birth,  but  of  conception,  which  is  evidently  the  case  here,  the 
distance  between  Scorpio  and  Cancer  being  nine  months.  The  one 
horoscope  modifies  the  other,  when  the  future  has  to  be  read  from 
the  signs.  The  planets  of  the  two  Houses  are  Mars  and  Luna. 
Mars  as  the  ruling  planet  is  shown  as  a  shining  sun ;  he  also  appears 
as  the  shining  sun  on  the  other  side  of  the  wand  alongside  the 
figures  of  his  two  houses,  Scorpio  and  Aries.  Luna  as  the  Sacred 
Eye  appears  at  the  far  right  hand  corner  of  the  reverse  side  of  the 
wand.  Mercury  under  the  form  of  Sebek  the  crocodile  occurs  three 
times,  once  on  the  reverse  side,  where  the  figure  is  fully  drawn  out 
and  is  placed  above  the  Hawk  and  Sun  (Jupiter  and  Mars),  perhaps 
to  show  a  conjunction  with  those  planets ;  twice  on  the  obverse, 
where  only  the  head  is  given.  The  positions  of  the  heads  are 
interesting ;  one  is  in  the  middle  of  the  wand,  the  other  in  the 
right-hand  corner.  We  know  so  little  of  ancient  astrology  that  it  is 
impossible  to  say  whether  they  are  placed  in  those  positions  to 
indicate  their  aspect  to  other  planets  or  their  direction  to  fixed  stars 
or  constellations ;  or  whether  Mercury  like  Mars  is  placed  beside 
one  of  his  houses,  Gemini,  represented  by  the  double-headed 
sphinx. 

37 


Jan.   io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL-EOLOGY.  [1906. 

Fig.  4.  Here  I  can  onlj'  identify  Luna  as  the  Ape  with  the 
sacred  Eye,  and  Mercury  as  Set ;  and  I  would  suggest  that  the  Lion 
witli  the  sacred  Eye  on  his  head  and  liis  knee  is  Sol,  and  that  the 
fire-sign  is  the  constellation  Arsru. 

Fig.  16.  First  come  three  planets,  Luna,  Sol,  and  Saturn,  perhaps 
a  conjunction  of  the  three;  the  three  signs  at  the  opposite  end  of 
the  wand  appear  to  me  to  be  the  date — the  House  or  sign  of  the 
Zodiac,  the  Hour,  and  the  Dekan  constellation. 

Fig.  ig.  Here  are  five  figures  between  Taurt  and  the  winged 
serpent,  two  of  which  can  be  identified  as  planets ;  I  therefore 
presume  that  they  are  the  five  planets  Jupiter,  Saturn,  Mars,  Mercury 
and  \'enus.  The  first  two  figures  are  greatly  damaged  ;  the  third. 
Mars,  is  a  female  figure,  Ijut  in  late  inscriptions  Mars  is  constantly 

spoken  of  as  V\         "the  feminine  Horus."     The  fourth  is  Set  or 

Mercury;  the  fifth  is  a  hawk-headed  man  representing  Venus,  which 
among  the  Egyptians  is  essentially  a  masculine  planet.  The  identi- 
fication of  the  hawk  with  Venus  is  shown  at  Denderah  {Dcsc.  de 
CE^'ptc,  R',  pi  20),  where  a  human  figure  with  two  heads,  a  man's 
and  a  hawk's,  represents  the  planet. 

In  all  astrology  the  ruling  planet  is  looked  upon  as  a  protector. 
A  strong  planet,  when  in  the  ascendant  or  as  Lord  of  Mid-heaven, 
will  protect  the  "native"  from  ills  and  misfortunes  innumerable, 
and  when  favourably  aspected,  the  good  influence  of  that  planet  on 
the  fortunes  of  the  "native"  is  immensely  increased.  ^J'he  ruling 
planet  exercises  a  continual  influence  on  the  life  of  the  "  native," 
and,  except  when  in  a  definitely  bad  aspect,  the  influence  is  always 
favourablt*  and  protective.  This  same  idea  of  protection  applies  in 
a  lesser  degree  to  the  other  stars. 

The  few  inscriptions  which  remain  upon  the  wands  also  point 
to  this  same  idea  of  the  protective  influence  of  the  stars. 

'J'he    purpose  of  these  wands  is  V  ^"1   "  Protection,"   and   the 

dekan-sturs    are    called      ^    V    scbau    sa,    "  stars    of    protection." 

(Brugsch,  Tht's.,  p    133.)     One  of  the  inscriptions  of  fig.  4  begins: 

111      H     C^£\  ^v.     -''^   niedu  yn    aha ,   "  words    spoken    by   the 

fighter."     In  the  tombs  of  the  kings  (Brugsch,  T//es.,  p.  122)  Set  is 

38 


Jan.   io]  EGYPTIAN  MAGICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 


called  Ckh  aha  da,   "The  great  fighter."     Set  is  the  same  as 

the  planet  Mercury,  and  on  this  wand  Set  occupies  a  prominent 
place  towards  the  middle  of  the  obverse.  In  astrological  language 
he  would  be  the  Lord  on  the  Nativity,  i.e.  the  chief  or  strongest 
planet  in  the  horoscope,  and  would  therefore  be  the  star  which 
exercised  most  influence  on  the  "native." 

Fig.   9    gives     II     ])      ^    /I\  fl  "^^   '^'^d  medu  ynuk   kJiey   uzaf, 


which  Mr,  Hall  translates,  "  I  am  the  possessor  of  the  eye,"  but 
taking  kher  in  its  literal  sense  of  "  under,"  this  would  read  equally 
well,  "  I  am  under  the  Moon,"  i.e.  the  Moon  is  my  ruling  planet. 

On  some  there  is  no  inscription,  but  ^  Q  sa  Ra,   "  Protection  of 

Ra."  Here  I  take  Ra  to  mean  the  sun,  not  as  a  planet,  but  as  the 
ruler  of  the  heavens,  to  whom  all  planets,  stars  and  constellations  are 
in  subjection. 

No.  7.  After  the  usual  formula,  the  "protection  of  Ra"  is 
invoked  ^^^^Js.  |f]()^S  J  ha  khered  py  Nehy  mes 
Pert,  "around  this  child  Nehy,  born  of  Pert."  Here  the  wand  is 
definitely  for  a  child,  and  from  the  word-sign  S) ,  probably  a  young 

child.  This  is  a  clear  proof  that  the  wand  was  made  for  its  owner 
early  in  life. 

The  signs  of  wear  which  many  of  the  wands  show  cannot  be 
explained,  I  think,  by  their  having  been  worn  on  the  person.  On 
most  of  them  there  is  no  means  of  attaching  them  securely  ;  besides, 
they  are  never  shown  on  any  figure  of  that  period,  whether  painting, 
bas-relief,  or  statue.  They  are  also  never  shown  in  any  list  or 
pictures  of  objects  intended  for  the  use  of  the  dead ;  but  this  is 
easily  accounted  for  if  they  are  horoscopes,  for  at  the  death  of  the 
"  native  "  the  use  of  the  horoscope  comes  to  an  end.  I  account  for 
the  signs  of  wear  in  this  way  :  a  horoscope  when  first  drawn  up  is 
fairly  simple,  merely  indicating  in  a  general  way  the  character  and 
fortunes  of  the  "  native,"  and  the  stars  which  afford  him  protection  ; 
if  definite  information  is  wanted  as  to,  e.g..,  a  journey,  the  character 
of  a  new  acquaintance,  an  auspicious  day  for  beginning  any  fresh 
work,  etc.,  the  horoscope  is  sent  to  an  astrologer,  who  calculates 
from  it  the  desired  result.     A  simple  horoscope  like   fig.   2   would 

39 


Jan.   io]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

require  more  additional  calculation  than  an  elaborate  one  like  fig.  3, 
and  therefore  shows  more  signs  of  wear. 

The  position  and  relative  size  of  the  figures  appear  to  have  some 
definite  meaning.  Lane,  in  his  notes  to  the  Arabian  Nights,  describes 
divination  from  the  motion  "  or  positions  of  birds  or  gazelles  and  other 
beasts  of  the  chase.  Thus  what  was  termed  a  Sdneh,  i.e.,  such  an 
animal  standing  or  passing  with  its  right  side  towards  the  spectator, 
was  esteemed  among  the  Arabs  of  good  omen  ;  and  a  Bdreh,  or  an 
animal  of  this  kind  with  its  left  side  towards  the  spectator,  was  held 
as  inauspicious."  On  these  wands  several  of  the  figures,  e.g.,  the 
sun  on  legs,  are  represented  sometimes  turned  to  the  left,  sometimes 
to  the  right,  which,  if  my  theory  is  correct,  would  show  respectively 
a  bad  or  a  good  aspect  of  the  planet  or  sign. 

The  relative  positions  of  the  planetary  signs  to  each  other  appear 
to  show  the  Aspects :  Conjunction,  Sextile,  Quartile,  Trine,  and 
Opposition.  And  the  size  of  a  planetary  sign,  e.g.,  the  crocodile  on 
fig.  3,  which  is  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  other  signs,  indicates 
the  Lord  of  the  Nativity,  or  the  chief  planet  of  the  horoscope. 

Fig.  2  (see  Plate  I).  This  is  one  of  the  simplest  as  w-ell  as  one  of 
the  oldest  of  the  wands.  The  Houses  are  clearly  shown  as  square 
divisions,  containing  respectively  the  signs  of  Aries  and  Cancer. 
These  are  the  Houses  of  Conception  and  Birth,  the  House  of  Birth 
being  Aries,  as  it  is  in  the  principal  place,  in  the  middle  of  the  wand. 
The  planets  are  given  on  the  obverse,  and  are  represented  as  follows  : 
Sol  as  a  disk  walking  and  witli  two  uraei  hanging  from  it ;  Saturn 
as  a  bull-headed  man  holding  a  sceptre  ;  Luna  as  the  Ape  with  the 
sacred  Eye  ;  Mercury  as  a  crocodile. 

I  read  the  figures  thus  :  (i)  The  figure  of  Taurt,  which  I  take 
to  be  an  astrological  symbol,  and  may  represent  one  of  the  "  Signifi- 
cators  "  which  signify  the  events  about  to  happen  to  the  "  native." 
In  modern  astrology  there  are  five  significators,  the  Ascendant, 
the  Mid-heaven,  the  Sun,  the  Moon,  and  the  Part  of  Fortune.  In 
early  and  less  complicated  astrology,  the  Sun  and  Moon  would 
probably  be  looked  upon  merely  as  planets,  reducing  the  Significators 
to  three,  which  might  be  identified  with  the  three  birth-gods,  Taurt, 
Heqt  and  Bes,  though  this  I  think  hardly  likely ;  the  Ascendant 
and  Mid-heaven  would  be  expressed  by  the  position  of  the  planet 
on  the  wand.  The  three  divinities  may,  however,  very  well  be  the 
symbols  for  the  Giver  of  Life,  the  Giver  of  Years,  and  the  Lord  of 
the   Nativity,  and  on   a  birth   horoscope   these  symbols  would   be 

40 


PLATE  I. 


Prcc.  Soi.  Bibl.  .■lirk.,Jaii.,  1906. 


Jan.   io]  EGYPTIAN  MAGICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 

very  appropriately  expressed  by  figures  of  gods  of  birth.  Of  the 
three,  the  term  Giver  of  Life  appears  to  me  most  appHcable  to  Tauit. 
On  this  wand,  the  unidentified  planet,  which  I  take  to  be  Mars, 
must  be  the  Lord  of  the  Nativity  {i.e.,  the  strongest  planet  in  the 
horoscope),  because  being  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  procession  and 
next  to  the  Sun,  he  is  evidentiy  in  the  x\scendant,  and  in  conjunction 
with  Sol.  A  Conjunction  with  the  Sun,  if  it  is  Partil.  i.e.,  exact,  is 
called  I71  corde  soli's,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beneficent  of  aspects. 
Aries,  one  of  the  houses  of  Mars,  is  the  House  of  Birth  in  this 
horoscope,  and  one  of  the  Decanates  or  Faces  of  Mars  is  in  Aries. 
All  these  combined,  give  Mars  a  greater  number  of  dignities  than 
the  other  planets,  and  therefore  make  him  Lord  of  the  Nativity ;  a 
position  which  I  take  to  be  indicated  by  the  Frog.  Bes  would 
then  indicate  the  Giver  of  Years.  (2  and  3)  Sol  and  a  planet 
unidentified,  perhaps  Mars,  both  moving  towards  the  right.  From 
their  position,  i.e.,  leading  the  way,  we  may  conclude  that  they  are 
in  the  Ascendant,  Sol  being  the  Giver  of  Life  as  indicated  by  his 
position  next  to  Taurt.  They  are  divided  from  the  next  planet  by 
(4)  the  frog-sign,  and  are  therefore  placed  closely  together ;  a 
position  which  evidently  represents  a  Conjunction.  A  conjunction 
of  planets  m  the  Ascendant  is  considered  one  of  the  most  fortunate 
and  important  of  all  aspects,  and  would  be  emphasized  in  any 
horoscope,  ancient  or  modern.  The  unidentified  planet  is  the  Lord 
of  the  Nativity.  (5)  The  bull-headed  man,  which  is  the  planet  Saturn. 
From  his  position  in  the  middle,  and  highest  part,  of  the  wand  he 
is  the  Lord  of  Mid-heaven,  and  from  his  position  next  to  Bes,  he  is 
the  Giver  of  Years  as  well.  Saturn  stands  alone,  divided  from  Sol 
and  Mars  by  the  frog-sign,  and  from  the  following  planets  by  Bes. 
Saturn  in  Mid-heaven  is  very  important,  and  would  exercise  a  very 
strong  influence  on  the  horoscope.  (6)  Bes  with  snakes.  (7)  Luna 
the  Sacred  Eye,  followed  by  (8)  Mercury  the  crocodile,  from  whom 
she  is  partly  divided  by  (9)  a  snake.  This  indicates  an  aspect  of 
the  two  planets  with  one  another,  but  the  interposition  of  the  snake 
shows  a  distant  aspect,  perhaps  Trine,  or  even  Opposition ;  though, 
as  the  figures  face  to  the  right,  it  is  probably  the  auspicious  aspect. 
Trine,  This  is  another  strong  combination,  from  the  fact  that 
Cancer  is  the  House  of  Conception,  which  gives  more  power  to 
Luna. 

The  reverse  side  of  the  wand  offers  more  difficulties,  as  I  cannot 
identify  many  signs,     (i)  Taurt,  probably  purely  astrological ;  (2)  a 

41  D 


Jan.   lo]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGY.  [1906. 

lion,  unidentified  ;  (3)  a  waved  snake,  perhaps  the  sign  of  a  dekade  ; 
(4)  a  cat  on  a  «<'/^-basket,  unidentified;  (5)  Aries  in  the  House  of 
Birth;  (7)  Cancer  in  the  House  of  Conception;  (8)  a  twisted 
snake,  probably  the  same  as  an  astronomical  sign  or  constellation  at 
Denderah  ;   (9)  a  panther,  unidentified. 

To  recapitulate  :  Cancer  is  the  House  of  Conception,  Aries  the 
House  of  Birth,  therefore  Mars,  the  planet  of  Aries,  is  the  ruling 
planet.  Only  the  strongest  planets  and  their  aspects  are  given ; 
Conjunction  of  Mars  and  Sol  in  the  Ascendant ;  Saturn  in  Mid- 
heaven  ;  Luna  and  Mars  in  Trine  {see  Plates). 

That  astrology  was  well-known  in  the  XHth  Dynasty  is  shown 
by  the  inscriptions  on  the  coffin  of  Emseht,  published  by  M.  Daressy 
{Antiales  du  Service,  I,  8o).     It  begins   with   a  seiefi  dy  hetep  for 

Q)  .^\,J|j]|iv  ''^'^,  Lord  of  Heaven,  in  all  his  places." 

fn  "V'v^^v^^  "Meskhu  in  the  Northern  heaven"  (the 
Great  Bear) ;  °  ^  "Nu,-;  ^J,,^^^^^.  "Sahu  in  the 
Southern  heaven  "  (Orion).  These  are  evidently  parallel  passages : 
Ra,  ruler  of  the  starry  host,  and  the  chief  constellation  of  the  North  ; 
Nut,  the  sky  goddess,  and  the  chief  constellation  of  the  South.  The 
other  constellations  and  stars  are  in  pairs,  the  names  joined  by  the 

word   ^  "  Together  with  ;  "     I  |\    ^^  4j    "  The    Southern 

Semd,"  and  1'^^^^^^"^  "  The  Northern  6'<?w^."  M.  Daressy 
says  that  these  are  planets,  the  Southern  Semd  being  Jupiter,  the 
Northern  Semd  Mercury.     'I  i       "^  "The  god  traversing  the  sky" 

„ fl 

and  „  "The  upper  arm  "  (of  Orion).  "  The  god  traversing  the 
sky"  is  said  by  M.  Daressy  to  be  Saturn.  "The  upper  arm"  is  a 
dekan.     Then   comes    A  Jj    "Sirius"   and     fj]''^^    "The   Great 

Bear,"  a  fi.xed  star  and  a  constellation.  ''^^W  "  Akhy,"  and 
l^^^-^'^^  "  ^^^^^  ^'^^'^^  '^  behind  Akhy,"  both  dekans.  .=J>T  I 
"Beginning  of  the  thousands,"  and  _^  T  '  "End  of  the 
thousands,"  both  dekans,  perhaps  the  Milky  Way;    JU  '^  <^   "The 

42 


PLATE  II. 


Pro,-.  S(h:  Bibl.  An/i.,  Jan.,  1906. 


n'ORY  WAND.     B.M.,   24425. 
A.strologically  expressed. 


Saturn     b      Lord  of  Mid-heaven. 
Jupiter     % 

conjunction 

Mars      J  c5  O 

The  Sun     Q  6  S 

Venus      ? 

Trine 

Mercury      ^  A  })     1  The  position  in  the  Horoscope 

The  Moon      D  A  ^     J       of  ?   and  D  is  conjectural. 


Jan.   io]  EGYPTIAN  MAGICAL  WANDS.  [1906. 

upper    Khentet,"     and     ^  ^  ih      "The     k)wer     Khentet,"    both 

dekans. 

Thus  the  inscription  contains  the  names  of  the  ruler  of  the  stars 
and  the  sky-goddess,  the  two  chief  constellations  of  the  North  and 
South,  three  planets,  the  most  brilliant  of  the  fixed  stars,  the  most 
brilliant  group  of  stars  which  are  always  visible,  and  seven  dekans. 
This  combination  means  nothing  as  it  stands,  but  if  we  take  the 
names  as  referring  to  the  horoscope  of  Emseht,  they  at  once  have  a 
definite  meaning.  Worship  is  paid  to  Ra  and  Nut  as  the  rulers 
of  the  sky,  and  to  Orion  and  the  Great  Bear  as  the  respective  rulers 
of  the  two  parts  of  heaven.  The  dekans  are  used  instead  of  the 
signs  of  the  Zodiac,  and  express  the  Houses  which  were  most 
fortunate  to  the  "  native,"  and  the  three  planets  were  the  most 
important  in  the  horoscope. 

The  "  many  protectors "  referred  to  by  the  inscription  on  the 
wand  belonging  to  Mr.  Hood,  and  recently  published  by  Mr. 
Legge  {Proceedings,  XXVII,  p.  299),  are  the  planets  and  other  stars, 
which   are   symbolised    by  the  figures   on  the  wand.     The  phrase 

-¥•   sa   en  ankh   may  be  translated  "  Protection  for  the   life," 

a  most  appropriate   expression  for   the   horoscope   of  a   new-born 
child. 


43 


Jan.   10]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH^OLOOV.  [1906. 


The  next  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
Wednesday,  February  14th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  : — 

R.  Campbell  Thompson,  Esq.,  M.A. :  "  The  Folklore 
of  Mossoul." 


44 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE    SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCHEOLOGY 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,     1906. 


Second  Meeting,  February  \<\tli,  1906. 
Sir   H.    H.    HOWORTH,   K.C.I. E.,   F.R.S.,   &^c... 


IN   THE  CHAIR. 


•r^:- 


[No,  ccix.]  45 


Feb.   14J  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCII.tOLOGV.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : — 

J.  Pollard,  Esq.— '-The  History  of  Egypt."     By  Samuel  Sharpe. 
"  Modern  Egypt  and  Thebes."     By  Sir  Gardner 
Wilkinson,  F./^.S. 
F.  Legge,  Esq. — "  Scarabs — an    introduclion    to    Egyptian    Seals 

and  Signet-rings."     By  Percy  E.  Newberry. 
The  Royal  Museum,  Leyden.— •''  Suteii-xeft,  the  Royal  Book." 


THE    LIBRARY. 


BOOK-BINDING    FUND. 

The  following  donations  have  been  received  : — 

January,  1906  : — 

W.  H.  Rylands,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  {Fourth  Donation)     ^2      2     o 
W.  I..  ^d&\\  Y.-.(\.,  F.S. A.  {Third Donation)    ...     £2     2     o 


The  following  Candidate  for  Membership  was  elected  : — 
Rev.  A.  E.  Sufferin,  M.A.,  Weybridge. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

R,  CAMPI3ELL  Thompson,  Esq.,  M.A.  :  "The  Folklore  of 
Mossoul." 

Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 


46 


Fek.    14]  THE  "STAR  OK  STARS"  AND  "DII.GAX."  [1906. 


THE    "STAR   OF   STARS"   AND    "DILGAN." 
By  the  Hon.  Emisieline  Plunket. 


{^Continued  from  page  13.) 


In  the  illustration  (see  Plate)  I  have  adopted  as  an  approximate 
limit  of  visibility  a  circle — having  the  sun  as  its  centre — of  13°,  and 
I  have  thus  attempted  to  show  the  relation  of  the  sun,  at  the  initial 
point  of  the  zodiac,  in  the  horizon  line  of  an  observer  in  the  latitude 
of  Babylon,  just  as  the  whole  constellation  of  the  Southern  Fish 
surmounted  that  line,  at  the  dates  in  round  numbers  of  2000  and 
3000  B.C.  I  have  also  drawn  the  horizon  line  for  Fomalhaut — the 
very  conspicuous  star  of  the  first  magnitude  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Fish — and  given  its  circle  of  visibility  when  the  sun  was  8°  to  the 
east  of  the  initial  point  of  the  zodiac. 

According  to  Mr.  Penrose's  observations  quoted  above,  the 
dotted  circle  of  13°  given  as  the  circle  of  visibility  would  suit  for 
that  star;*  though  for  the  fainter  stars  in  the  head  of  the  Fish  a 
wider  circle  ought  to  be  allowed.  I  have,  however,  given  the  same 
extent  to  the  circles  in  each  case,  as  it  is  not  indeed  possible,  not 
knowing  what  were  the  methods  pursued,  nor  what  were  the  powers 
of  observation  possessed  by  Accadian  astronomers,  to  give  more 
than  a  rough  approximation  to  what  they  would  have  calculated 
as  the  limit  of  visibility  of  a  star  rising  heliacally. 

Granting,  however,  these  uncertainties  of  detail,  it  may  be 
inferred  from  a  study  of  the  illustration  that  the  Southern  Fish  rose 
heliacally  when  the  sun  attained  to  the  initial  point  of  the  zodiac  at 
a  date  nearer  to  3000  than  to  2000  B.C. 

^  To  avoid  a  multiplicity  of  lines,  the  3^  for  the  altitude  of  the  star  and  10 
of  depression  for  the  sun  have  been  combined  in  one  circle. 

47  E   2 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCH.-EOLOGV.  [1906. 

In  such  a  year  as  that  represented  in  the  illustration  the 
constellation  during  the  month  Tebet  would  have  been  invisible, 
lost  in  the  overpowering  light  of  the  sun,  which  in  that  month 
traversed  parts  of  the  constellations  Aquarius  and  Capricor-mis. 
Early  in  the  month  Sebat  the  westernmost  stars  of  the  Southern 
Fish  would  begin  to  be  visible  just  before  sunrise ;  but  not  till  some 
date  m  Adar  would  the  whole  constellation  rise  visibly  above  the 
horizon  line,  the  sun  then  having  arrived  at  the  initial  point  of  the 
zodiac. 

It  has  been  a  comi)arison  of  the  tablet  which  described  the 
planet  Venus  as  the  spark  of  Dilgan  in  the  month  Sebat,  with  other 
tablets  wliich  referred  to  Dilgan  as  worthy  of  observation  at  the 
beginning  of  the  year — it  has  been  a  comparison  of  these  various 
tablets  which  has  given,  as  it  seems  to  me,  a  reasonable  ground  for 
suggesting  that  Dilgan  was  the  Accadian  name  of  the  Southern  Fish  ; 
and  it  further  seems  to  me  possible  to  detect  in  the  Venus  tablet,  at 
lines  28  and  29,  a  reference  to  the  heliacal  rising  of  the  bright 
star  Fomalhaut :  — 

"  28.  In  the  month  Adar  the  spark  of  the  Fish  of  Hea  is  Venus 
"  (and  also  Mercury). 

"  29.  In  the  month  Adar  on  the  3rd  day  (Venus)  rises,  and 
"  in  Nisan  .  .  .  ." 

The  Fish  of  Hea,  in  line  28,  refers  probably  to  the  zodiacal 
constellation  Pisces,  to  the  westernmost  degrees  of  which  the 
planet  attained  at  the  close  of  the  month,  though  as  we  do  not 
yet  know  definitely  by  what  names  Accadian  astronomers  dis- 
tinguished from  each  other  the  many  fish  and  marine  monsters 
represented  on  the  celestial  sphere  near  to  the  constellation 
Aquarius,  it  is  not  possible  to  feel  quite  sure  whether  reference  is 
not  still  here  made,  under  another  name  than  Dilgan,  to  the 
Southern  Fish,  near  to  which  the  path  of  the  planet  lay  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  month  Adar. 

However  that  may  be,  it  is  to  the  words  "and  also  Mercury, 
&c.  .  .  .  ,"  that  I  wish  to  direct  attention.  At  the  date  when  the 
above  translation  of  the  Venus  tablet  was  made,  the  Accadian  name 
of  the  planet  Mercury  had  not  been  correctly  ascertained  ;  the 
words  "(and  also  Mercury)"  are  in  brackets,  and  may  be  looked 
on  as  a  provisional  translation,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 
word  "  (Venus)  "  in  line  29. 

If  instead  of  these  suggested  renderings  we  might  think  that  the 

48 


Feb.  14]  THE  "  STAR  OF  STARS  "  AND  "  DILGAN."  [1906. 

word  translated  "Mercury"  really  designated  the  star  Fomalhaut, 
we  might  read  the  two  lines  as  follows  :  — 

"  28.  In  the  month  Adar  the  spark  of  the  Fish  of  Hea  is  Venus 
"  .  .  .   .  Fomalhaut. 

"  29.   In  the  month  Adar  on  the  third  day  rises  .   .   .  ." 

The  appearance  of  Fomalhaut  on  the  3rd  of  Adar,  after  its  long 
period  of  invisibility,  would  have  been  a  noticeable  phenomenon, 
whereas  Venus  had  for  more  than  a  month  been  a  glorious  object 
in  the  eastern  sky,  and  the  planet  for  some  months  to  come  would 
still  continue  to  appear,  but  with  diminishing  lustre,  as  a  morning 
star. 

If  the  reference  is  to  Fomalhaut,  it  would  furnish  us  with  a  clue 
by  which  it  might  be  approximately  determined  what  was  the  latest 
date  at  which  the  observations  recorded  in  the  tablet  could  have 
been  made. 

In  such  a  year  as  that  dealt  with  in  the  illustration,  the  month  of 
Adar,  it  is  assumed,  had  by  intercalation  in  the  preceding  year  been 
pushed  forward  to  its  furthest  limit  in  the  Accadian  calendar  ;  yet 
even  in  such  a  year  Fomalhaut  could  not  have  risen  visibly  on  the 
3rd  of  Adar  at  a  date  much  later  than  3000  B.C.  If,  however,  the 
conjunction  of  Venus  recorded  in  the  tablet  took  place,  as  possibly 
might  have  been  the  case,  in  a  year  when  the  months  had  not  been 
pushed  quite  so  far  forward  amongst  the  constellations,  the  observa- 
tion of  the  heliacal  rising  of  Fomalhaut  on  the  3rd  of  Adar  might 
have  been  made  at  a  much  higher  date  than  3000  B.C. 

The  clue  obtained  therefore  would  give  us  the  latest  possible, 
but  not  the  earliest  possible  date  for  the  recorded  observation.^ 

Without  laying  much  stress  on  these  speculations  concerning  the 
rising  of  Fomalhaut  on  the  3rd  of  Adar,  but  returning  to  the  main 
proposition  here  made,  that  Dilgan  was  the  Accadian  name  of  the 
constellation  of  the  Southern  Fish,  and  trusting  to  the  strong 
probability  that  in  very  early  ages,  and  still  on  into  Babylonian 
times,  the  heliacal  rising  of  its  stars  announced  the  approach  of 
the  calendrical  new  year,  I  am  led  to  think  that  the  legend  of  the 
"  Monstrous  Cannes  "  handed  down  to  us  by  Berosus,  embodied  not 
an  historical  but  an  astronomical  myth,  that  it  did  not  refer  at  all 
to   the   conquest    or   civilization    of   Babylonia  by  a  race  of   men 

^  It  must,  however,  be  pointed  out  that  if  the  initial  point  of  the  zodiac 
proposed  by  Epping  and  Strassmaier  is  the  correct  one,  the  above  suggested  dates 
must  be  lowered  by  about  1000  years. 

49 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

arriving  from  the  south  in  ships,  but  to  the  heUacal  rising  of  Dilgan. 
Berosus  tells  us  : — 

"There  was  originally  at  Babylon  a  multitude  of  men  of  foreign 
"  race  who  had  colonised  Chaldea,  and  they  lived  without  order 
"  like  animals.  But  in  the  first  year  there  appeared  from  out  the 
"  Erythrean  Sea  where  it  borders  upon  Babylonia,  an  animal  endowed 
"  with  reason,  who  was  called  Oannes.  The  whole  body  of  the 
"  animal  was  that  of  a  fish,  but  under  the  fish's  head  he  had  another 
"  head,  and  also  feet  below,  growing  out  of  his  fish's  tail,  similar  to  those 
"  of  a  man  ;  also  human  speech,  and  his  image  is  preserved  to  this 
"  day.  This  being  used  to  spend  the  whole  day  amidst  men,  without 
"  taking  any  food,  and  he  gave  them  an  insight  into  letters,  and 
"  sciences,  and  every  kind  of  art ;  he  taught  them  how  to  found 
"  cities,  to  construct  temples,  to  introduce  laws  and  to  measure  land ; 
"  he  showed  them  how  to  sow  seeds  and  gather  in  crops  ;  in  short, 
"  he  instructed  them  in  every  thing  that  softens  manners  and  makes 
"  up  civilization,  so  that  from  that  time  no  one  has  invented  any 
"  thing  new.  Then  when  the  sun  went  down  this  monstrous  Oannes 
"  used  to  plunge  back  into  the  sea  and  spend  the  night  in  the  midst 
"  of  the  boundless  waves,  for  he  was  am[)hibious." 

For  dwellers  in  Babylonia,  and  especially  for  those  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Euphrates,  the  constellation  of  the  Southern  Fish  rose  as  it 
were  out  of  the  Erythrean  Sea.  Fomalhaut,  by  far  its  most  con- 
spicuous star,  rose  about  35°  east  of  south. 

At  the  season  when  P'omalhaut  rose  Iieliacally  it  might  well  have 
been  thought  of  as  accompanying  the  sun,  and  therefore  as  "  spend- 
*'  ing  the  whole  day  amidst  men."  ^^'hen  the  sun  went  down 
Fomalhaut  did  not  indeed  "plunge  back  into  the  sea,"  but  it  was  no 
longer  above  the  horizon,  and  morning  after  morning  for  many  days  it 
would  again  and  again  rise  out  of  the  Erythrean  Sea.  But  further,  if 
the  season  marked  by  the  appearance  of  Fomalhaut  in  the  early 
dawn  was  that,  as  I  have  suggested,  of  the  begmning  of  the 
Babylonian  calendrical  year,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding 
how  so  many  beneficent  acts  were  attributed  to  the  divine  "being" 
who,  rising  out  of  the  Erythrean  Sea,  heralded  the  advent  of  the  most 
auspicious  of  all  days,  the  first  of  the  new  year. 

This  ancient  Oannes  legend  has  been  handed  down  to  us  in  a 
language  foreign  to  the  country  in  which  it  first  took  shape,  and  it 
may  be  that  instead  of  the  words  "  in  the  first  year  "  we  should  read 
"  on  the  first  of  the  year,"  and  so  reading  the  passage  we  should, 

50 


Feb.  14]         THE  "STAR  OF  STARS"  AND  "DILGAN."  [1906. 

I  think,  easily  recognize  in  the  being  who  appeared  on  the  first  ot 
the  year,  and  whose  whole  body  was  that  of  a  fish,  the  constellation 
Dilgan,  the  Southern  Fish. 

If  now  we  adopt  the  opinion  that  Dilgan  was  the  Southern  Fish, 
we  have  still  to  inquire  how  this  opinion  must  affect  the  answer  to 
be  given  to  the  question  of  the  identity  of  the  "  star  of  stars  "  with 
Dilgan  or  with  Capella. 

And  as  to  its  equation  with  Dilgan  the  answer,  either  on  the 
equinoctial  or  the  zodiacal  theory,  must  be  in  the  negative. 

The  star  of  stars  "  of  the  rule "  was,  as  we  have  learned,  to  be 
observed  setting  together  with  the  new  moon  at  the  beginning  of  the 
month  Nisan,  the  first  month  of  the  year ;  it  must  therefore  have 
followed  and  not  preceded  the  sun  during  that  first  month. 

According  to  the  equinoctial  theory  the  sun  2000  b.c.  during 
the  first  month  of  the  year  traversed  the  constellation  of  the  Bull, 
and  according  to  the  zodiacal  theory  the  constellation  of  the  Ram. 
But  when  the  sun  was  in  either  of  these  constellations  the  setting  of 
the  Southern  Fish  could  not  have  been  observed,  as  it  preceded  and 
did  not  follow  that  of  the  sun. 

The  first  month  of  a  year  announced  by  the  setting  of  the  new 
moon  together  with  the  Southern  Fish  must  have  been  a  month 
during  which  the  sun  traversed  parts  of  the  constellations  Sagittarius 
and  Capricorn  us,  and  one  which  in  Babylonian  times  must  have 
fallen  in  the  late  autumn. 

If  therefore  Dilgan  was  the  Southern  Fish,  it  could  not  have  been 
the  star  of  stars  "  of  the  rule  ; "  and  we  are  thus  brought  face  to  face 
with  a  discrepancy  between  the  evidence  of  the  Venus  tablet  above 
considered,  on  which  the  identification  of  Dilgan  with  the  Southern 
Fish  was  based,  and  with  that  of  the  unpublished  tablet  referred  to 
by  Prof  Sayce  and  Mr.  Bosanquet,  on  which  the  identity  of  Dilgan 
with  the  "star  of  stars"  was  based. 

But  it  has  been  admitted,  and  it  must  still  be  admitted,  that  very 
many  difficulties  and  apparent  discrepancies  are  to  be  met  with 
in  the  study  of  the  obscure  astronomical  tablets.  Further  research 
on  the  part  of  Assyriologists  will  no  doubt  result  in  the  reconciling 
of  many  such  discrepancies  ;  meanwhile  for  those  who  hold  that  the 
Accadian  calendar  was  zodiacal,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
astronomical  probabilities  are  in  favour  of  the  identification  of 
Dilgan  with  the  Southern  Fish,  and  not  of  that  of  Dilgan  with 
Capella. 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCII.EOLOGV.  [1906. 

The  claim  for  the  identification  of  the  star  of  stars  with  Capella, 
disencumbered  of  its  equation  with  Dilgan,  still  remains,  but  can 
only  be  based  on  the  assumptions  that  the  Accadian  year  was 
equinoctial,  and  the  date  of  the  origin  of  "  the  rule  "  was  not  earlier 
than  2000  B.C. 

But,  as  I  have  pointed  out  before,  it  is  not  possible  to  assume 
either  of  these  propositions  as  axioms  ;  and  if  the  arguments  in 
favour  of  Dilgan  being  the  Southern  Fish  are  accepted,  the  propo- 
sition that  the  Accadian  year  was  equinoctial  will  appear  scarcely 
tenable. 

With  increased  confidence  therefore  in  the  zodiacal  as  opposed 
to  the  equinoctial  theory,  I  now  venture  to  suggest  a  (juite  different 
identification  for  the  star  of  stars  than  that  of  Capella. 

In  pursuance  of  this  object  we  have  to  inquire :  Is  there  any 
very  conspicuous  star,  or  group  of  stars,  which  might  worthily  have 
been  chosen  by  Accadian  astronomers  to  mark  by  its  seleniacal 
setting  the  beginning  of  a  year  dependent  on  the  sun's  entrance  into 
the  constellation  Aries?  The  answer  to  this  question  lies  at  our 
very  hand. 

There  is,  I  think,  in  the  heavens  no  star  or  asterism  which  more 
easily  attracts  the  attention  and  admiration  of  even  the  most  casual 
star-gazer  than  does  the  Pleiades  group ;  that — • 

"    ....  swarm  of  fire-flies  tangled  in  a  siher  braid." 

In  all  lands  and  in  all  literatures  the  "sweet  influences  of  the 
Pleiades  "  have  been  sung. 

This  group  of  stars  not  only  at  2000  B.C.,  but  during  all  the 
ages  of  Accadian  and  Babylonian  history  could  have  served,  and, 
indeed,  down  to  the  present  day  might  still  serve,  to  determine, 
according  to  the  method  described  in  the  tablet,  the  length  of  soli- 
lunar  years  whose  beginning  was  fixed  at  the  initial  point  of  the 
Accadian  zodiac. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  what  are  the  cuneiform  signs 
which  stand  in  the  tablet  for  the  "  star  of  stars,"  nor  in  what  way 
those  signs  are  transliterated ;  but  it  has  struck  me  that  the  name  of 
the  Pleiades,  or  rather  of  the  brightest  star  in  that  group,  the  Pleiad, 
as  it  is  given  by  Epping  and  Strassmaier  in  the  Zeitschrift  fiir 
Assyriologie  (1892),  might  bear  a  meaning  not  very  dissimilar  to 
that  of  the  "star  of  stars."  At  pp.  224  and  225  a  li.st  is  given 
of  33  important  stars  the  positions  of  which  have  been  definitely 

52 


Soc.    Bihl.  Arch.,  February,    1906. 


Proc.  Soc.    BihI.  Arch.,  February, 


Feb.  14]  THE  "  STAR  OF  STARS  "  AND  "  DILGAN."  [1906. 

ascertained.     The  name  of  the  Pleiad  there  appears  as  "  Temennu 

On  another  page  of  the  same  paper  (251)  the  writers  draw  atten- 
tion in  a  footnote  to  the  fact  that  according  to  Jensen  the  sign 
■^y  may  be  transliterated  as  "  Mulu  "  or  "  Kakkabu,"  words  which 
I  often  observe  are  elsewhere  translated  as  star  or  stars. 

I  am  quite  ignorant  of  cuneiform  writing,  Accadian  or  Assyrian, 
but  what  seems  to  me  the  strong  astronomical  probability  that  the 
Pleiades  or  the  Pleiad  was  "the  star  of  stars  "  of  the  rule,  has  led  me 
to  think,  or  at  least  to  hope,  that  the  name  of  the  "star  of  stars"  of 
the  tablet  may  have  been  rendered  in  the  Babylonian  tablets  studied 
by  Epping  and  Strassmaier  by  the  signs  J*^y  '!J<^y,  and  that  those 
signs  transliterated  Te-te  might  bear  the  meaning  of  "  star,  star," 
"  stars,"  or  "  star  of  stars." 

If  Assyriologists  do  not  forbid  these  renderings  of  the  Babylonian 
name  of  the  Pleiad,  and  if  it  should  be  granted  that  the  tablet  quoted 
at  the  head  of  this  paper  contains  an  ancient  Accadian  observation 
of  the  simultaneous  setting  of  that  star  and  of  the  new  moon  of  the 
month  Nisan,  then  the  case  for  an  Accadian  sidereal  year  as  opposed 
to  an  Accadian  equinoctial  year  must,  I  think,  be  considered  as  very 
firmly  established,  and  thus  a  point  of  vantage  will  have  been  gained 
for  the  elucidation  of  many  other  astronomical,  chronological,  and 
mythological  problems. 


53 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL^OLOGY.  [1906. 


THE    ZOUCHE    SAHIDIC    EXODUS    FRAGMENT, 
(Exodus  xvi,  6 — xix,  11), 

FROM  THE  Original  Manuscript. 
By   Seymour   de   Ricci. 

This  article  contains  an  exact  copy  of  the  first  six  leaves  of  MS. 
Zouche  109,  belonging  to  Lord  Zouche,  and  deposited  on  loan  at 
the  British  Museum  ^vith  the  other  Zouche  MSS.,  also  known  as 
Curzon  or  Parham  MSS.' 

The  fragment  consists  of  six  consecutive  leaves  (31  x  25 
centimeters;  writing  25  x  20),  paged  from  77  to  88  on  the  right- 
hand  upper  corner  of  the  odd  pages  and  on  the  left-hand  upper 
corner  of  the  even  ones.  I  do  not  consider  these  numerals  as  being 
written  in  the  same  hand  as  the  text. 

The  body  of  the  text  is  written  in  two  columns  of  thirty-two 
lines,  in  a  large  circular  uncial  hand,  I  would  asi:ribe  totheVIIthor 
Vlllth  century  a.d.  There  are  no  coloured  initials  nor  ornaments 
of  any  kind,  the  initial  letters  being  larger  than  the  other  ones  : 
paragraphs  are  occasionally  noted  by  projecting  letters  of  ordinarj- 
size.  Punctuation  is  extensively  used,  and  takes  the  form  of  a  full- 
stop,  half  way  up  the  height  of  the  letters,  and  supplemented  at  times 
by  an  accent  ^  which  is  also  used  by  itself.  Some  vowels  are 
distinguished  by  the  two  dots  "  others  by  a  circumflex  accent  ^.  I 
have  endeavoured  in  my  copy  to  reproduce  accurately  all  these  signs 
exactly  as  they  stand  in  the  manuscript. 

A  single  leaf  of  the  same  MS.,  paged  134-35,  measuring  28  x  22^ 
centimeters,  and  containing  Exodus  xxvi,  24-36,  is  preserved  in 
the  Vatican  Library  (Borgia  4).  It  proves  conclusively  that  the 
Zouche  leaves  come  from  the  Deir  -  Amba  -  Shenoudah  (White 
Monastery),  near  Akhmim. 

'  The  volume  is  very  briefly  described  in  Curzon's  Catalogue  fo)  viaieriah 
or  ■wriliiig  .  .  .  etc.  (London,  1849,  folio),  p.  28,  n.  4.  The  Exodus  leaves  are 
not  mentioned  by  him. 

54 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC  EXODUS  FRAGMENT.  [1906. 

This  text  was  first  copied  by  Rev.  H.  Tattam.  who  merely  noted 
it  in  his  papers  as  a  "  Sahidic  fragment  of  the  book  of  Exodus,  copied 
fro?n  an  ancient  fragment  ott  vellum.  Cairo,  January  igih,  1839." 
Tattam's  copy  was  copied  in  1848  by  the  German  Moritz  Gotthilf 
Schwartze,  who  died  soon  after,  and  most  of  whose  papers  were 
given  to  Paul  de  Lagarde  by  Alexander  von  Humboldt.  Schwartze's 
copy  was  published  in  1880  by  Adolf  Erman,  Bruchstikke  der 
oberdgyptischen  Ubersetzung  des  alten  Testamentes,  in  the  Nachrichten 
von  der  K.  Gesellschaft  der  Wissenschafteft  rind  der  Georg-Augusts- 
Universitiit  zu  Gottingen,  1880,  pp.  407-414  (see  p.  402). 

It  was  reprinted  in  the  first  volume  of  Cardinal  Ciasca's  Sacrorum 
Biblioriim  fragmenta   Copio-Sahidica  Musei  Borgiani  (Romae,  1885, 

4°),  PP-  46-51- 

Erman  did  not  know  where  the  original  MS.  was,  as  Tattam's 
copy  said  nothing  about  the  owner  of  these  precious  leaves.  They 
were  identified  as  being  in  MS.  Zouche  109  by  H,  Hyvernat,  in  his 
excellent  "Etudes  sur  les  versions  copies  dela  J^'ihle"  {Revue biblique. 
Vol.  V,  1896,  p.  554,  and  VI,  1897,  p.  59). 

Tattam's  copy  is  not  very  accurate ;  it  gives  neither  the  division 
into  pages  nor  the  division  into  lines.  For  such  a  valuable 
Scripture  text  ^  as  the  Zouche  Exodus  it  was  highly  desirable  to  have 
a  reliable  edition. 

-  For  these  parts  of  Exodus  (xvi,  6 — xix  11)  it  is  tlie  only  evidence 
available,  if  we  except  a  few  verses  (xvii,  1-7  and  xix,  i-ii)  contained  in  a  late 
liturgical  MS.  on  paper  (Borgia  99)  and  a  few  other  verses  (xvi,   27-36)   in  a 

Bibliotheqiie  Nationak  MS. 


55 


Feb.  14] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

~  onAiiG^oviie 

poiT  •  A.VAAeeOVII 
(nillOVTH  • 
TT(:>:A()A(;ll(rill(l) 


:x(niiiiiAviipoY 

^(•|•(;'|•|IA(■:IU6 
,\(-ll,\()(;l(".M(3ll 

•iA<|iniiviiio 

r>().\cllllKAi^ll 
KHUG  •  LimiAT 

^^eiierooveTe 
TiiAiiAvnruJooT 

IIM,\()(;I(;  ^u 

irrp(;(|<H()-i*ii 


niKmiKpiipii 
finiiovre  • 

AII()IIA(:AII()II 
lllllA(ri(:lll 


n 


K|)lipil(-|^^()ll   • 

(;.\Aq()im()iiico 

iiTpenA'oeic 
'l-iiMTiiiieeii 
A(|iiniiAviipor 
ecMiovtoii  • 

AV(t)i>(;ll()(:IKU 
miAVII^TOOVfi 
6'rC6l  •  AHAOeiC 
l*Ap(Hl)IIIC5IU3 


TIIKpiipilllAIII 

T(t)iii("r(nii 
Kpupuiiiioq 
eeoTiKjpoii  • 

AIIOII()-(;AII()ll 

iiiLr(:p(;ri(]'ni 


'(:ii(niiiA<>pii 
AAp(i)ii  •  >:eA:xic 
mcviiArtorH 
Tiipciiii.'yiipfj 
iiniiiA  •  Aoiiin 

'lll()\"0(;lll(:2()'.MI 

iinoiiTonr.oA 
iiiiAonK;'  •  ACjc.ai 

•|lll'Ap(-ll(JTII 
Kpiipil   •  A(| 

XIjAA(;Anil(riA\pU)ll 

niiA^piricvMA 

I'loi'iri'iipdi 

ii,"jiipniiii!iiA 

«^VKOT()VG^pAI 

GTHpHIKX;  • 
A(|()V(()ll^(;r.().\ 

ii(nn(:()()Vii 
^A•()(]lc^pAl^ll 

OVKAOOA(; 

AC|.")AAni  itririA'o 

(:l(MIIIA^pllll(0 

T(;ii(:'(;(|A'(oii 
ll()(;A(JAI(:tt)TU 


KpiipiirAp^'JO 


eiinKpiipuiiii 

;'JII|JeUIIIHA  • 
lyA^CGIIIIUATeK 

A:toiiii()(;\\(]ii 


56 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC 
OH 

niiAViiporeG 

TeTIIAOVCOIIII 

eeikvq  •  A'rtoii 

nilATII2l()()VU 

e'reTiiAceiiJ 

oeiKiiTeTiiei 

uejLeAiioKne 

IIOTTO    •    pOT 

^eAGAcj^ytone 

A.  ••  — 

AceieepAiiio'i 
OT2Hunnpo' 

ACetOBOIITriA 
pf:UBOAH  . 

^•rooveAGAci^to 
rie'opn'I'coTn 
ijHTerie(;iiTLi 
nKtoTeuTriA 

peilBOAH  • 
^VCO(3IG2HHTO 
eiOOVIIKA(;(| 

noK2ipun?()ii 
nxAie"  •  HOfiii 
orlipe^HT(3t| 
oroii^^iieeii 
ovxAqepAi?! 

2LlinKA2  • 

^TiiATAeepoq 
niriii^Hp(;ij 
niHA  •  ri63:e 

riOTA'nOTA'll 

iiGT^iT  ortoq 


EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 


[1906. 


xeorneriAi  • 
ueToooviirAp 
Aijxeovne  • 

nGAAqiiATiicriiuo 
voHc:venAino 
nooiKeiiiTAri.xo 

eiOTAACJIIHTIIO 

o'l'oruj  •  iiAino 

nriAAOOUTAIIAO 
eiceoiiqoTOO 
Til  •  3:eGcoc)V2G 
eoviiM^Hiq  • 
nGTiinGn()'i\C 
no'iw'  •  ovtDicrrA 

HG  KATATIII!(:II 

iiGm'br\M  . 

IIoVAnOTAUAptUj 
C(JU()T?G20TU 

TiiiGTOVHeimiiAq  • 

^TGip(:AG?IIIAm 

criii^Hp(;imiiiA  • 

A.TCaJOVe(3?()VII 

A.  . 

uiiAneeoTouii 

nAHKOTI   •  ATtDII 

THpov^irqii 
n^yi  •  iinGHAriG 
eoTopeoTo  • 

AVCJUnAnKOTILI 

nq^ycotoT  • 

nOTA'nOTA\\(|G(0 
OT2G20VIIIIIIGT 
HHGpoq • 


57 


Fek.  14] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-LOLOGY. 


[  1 906. 
00 


rie^wqAeiiAviJcri 
utovciic'  •  xeu 

/v 

n|>T|>(;.\AAVKCO 

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unovocuruii 

CAUOJVCHC  •  A.\.\A 
A?()(3lll(;K(0(3nA 

^ovii^ii'iq^A 
2Toove  •  Aqpr.uT 

AVtOAqKllOG  • 

ivqiiOTO'ce2pAi6 

XtOOVIKFILItOT 
CAIC.  •  AVtOAVCtO 

()Vi!iiuoqt32()Vii 
fi2Toove'  •  iiova' 
novA'neTHnGpoq  • 
eq^Aiieuou'Aeii 
tr  1 1 1 1)  h'  1 1  H^'j  A(  I  li  (o.O 

(3BO.V  •       AC^CO 

n(iAH^UnLI(32CO 
OvTieOOT'  •  AVdUJ 
OV202O'ri  jTTi  IGT 

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ovKHniyiciiAve 

1 1  OVA  110  VA^  • 
AVIitUKACje^OTII 
TUpOTIIOMIIApXaJM 
H  TCi'llAI'lDril'  • 
A'.AOOCIIUIOT 

CMC  .     n(->:A<jAn 

HAvilCrilKJUVCIIc' 


58 


xenAinen^Axe 
oiiTAn:v()(3io:\:o 

O(|:X0pACT(-IIGAB 

i.ATOiineneuToii 
eTovAAiiunxoeic  • 
neTcmiAToo'q 
Tocrq  •  iiOTeTiiA 
iiAcrtjUAcrrq  • 

AV(OII(3TIIAp?OVO 
(3pCOTHTIipqA 

AajTii?ApoqiyA 

2TOOVe  •  AVKAAq 
A{3^JA2TOOTe  • 

KATAoeeiiTAq 
^loiierooTOT 
uo-iuojtohc'a'.xo 

UnqKIIOC  •  OTAG 

Lin(5quT^tori6 
2pAiiieiiiq  • 

ne.\A(|A(3IIAVIHri 
1KUVGHO^:(30T 
UJUIIHTIIUnOOT 
nCABBATOUTAp 

un^oeicnenooT  • 

HTeTIIAe(3Ae3G 
OVOIIAII2iriOCO 

^6  •  cooviieo 

OTGTeTI  I ACCDOT? 

iiH'runeovii  • 

IJTeTI  IA2(]Ar;(;OT 
OIIAIieurill{3?CA 

^yqiieoovA't-iicAB 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC 

n 

RAToiine  •  xgU 

noTcujiri^pAiii 

2HTq   .      AG^tO 
IleAeeuniieeGA 

^yqiieoovAeoeji 

iie?un.\AOG'oin 

BOAGCtUOV^IIAT 

eeovirAvtuu 
no'reeeoTOM  • 

nGAAqAeiJcrinAO 
GiGmiA?puua)T 

GHGAG^ATIIAT 
IITGTIiOVUJ^'JAH 

ectjuruGiiA(:iiTo 

AH  •       AVtOriAIIO 
UOGATeTIIIIAT 

epoq  •  n^OGiG 
rApAqhiiMTiiLi 

nei^OOVIIGABRA 
TON    •    GTBGriAl 
AC|'hUHTIIUnOGIK^ 
rieOOTCIJAT  • 

2unue2Goovii 
eoo V  n o va'  n o'i\0 

IIUCOTUUApGq 
?UOOG^IinG(|HI  • 
UnpTpG.VAATU     . 
LIUtJUTIipriBOAU 

nequA^unue? 

CA^qiieOOT^'  AVtO 
AqGABBATI^^eil 

CTinAAOG^unuee 


EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 
CA;'J()II?00T  • 

A'lHDAVuovree 

nGqpAiiiicriiiiyH 

peuriiii.\3:GnuAii 

A.  

iiA^  •     iinqoAGii 

eGllOVBpG^HT 

G(j()vob;'j  •  cpe 

A 

TG(|'ItIGOIIOG 
IIOi-ArKpiGeKI 

A. 

OVGDKO  • 

nG^fAqAGUCriUtO 
■i"GHG':xGnAme 

n^A3^G(;HTA 

n:!^oGiGeoiiqG 
TOOTH  •  3:giiot2 

Un^'JIllHAHHA'  • 
HTGTHeApG2G 
pO(|GHGIIi:XCOU  • 

3:gkaggtghav6 

nOGIKGHTATB 
THOVOUt|2pAI 

2Lrn3:Ai6'Hr6pe 

n3i:OGIGHTHTTH 
6BOA2UnKA2H 

KHU6  •     nG:xAq 

^( ;  H  O^l  H  tOTG  H  C^ 


[  1 906. 


HHAepHAApCOH 

HGqGoii'  •  ag:vi 

HOVO-AUAIHHOVB  • 

HrHOv:xGGpoq 

HOriyiUHAHHA^ 

equea  •  hi-kuj 


59 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL^lOLOGV.  [1906. 

ULioqc-epAiunGij  AoiiruieonuooT 

Tociiio.vuniiov  ecto  •     avcdatga 

TG'(;^A|>Oer;p()(J  eOTIKrm.VAOGU 

iyAIIGTMrCMH-A  IIU)V(iHGGV^'t^) 

IJeG6iriAII.\()  IIU()GA(;I1AIIAI1 

Gic2a>ii(:r()()  ii()vii()()'/:>^G 

TqiJIICO\"GIIG  •  KAGGIIGGtO 

AAAp(OIIA(;KAA(j  n(;AA(|AGIIAVri 

Uri(;MTO(]IU)AU  OIUtU'/GIICAG 

n  UHTpGG2A|)(]?  AeptOTI  ri-GTU 

Gpotj  iTiyiipO  CAeOVMIIOi  •  AVCU 

^GU  niMAATOV  eTCGOi-rGTN 

cuuuniiAiiiiAri  HGipAr.GunAro 

euGupouncj  •  eiGriGTiiiiov 


IyAl^rovGl(;^pAl  tg   -   afiaaogag 

GnuA'iiovcue  •  eir.Gumioov 

AVOVCUIIUnUAII  euriUAGTUUAT  • 


IJA^^JAIITOVin  AVtJUAqKpUpU 

e^pAIGVGA'^iTG  II(rinAAOG2U 

(l)OIIIIKH  •  n^yi  nUA^GTllllAVG 

AGIIGnOVMU  UUJVGI  IGGVA'CU 

—  A. 

UHTiiGun^'jo  uuoGXGovne 

UTMi^JI   •       AGItO  nAIGTpGKIJTIJ 

OTIIAGnO-nGT  eBOAeilKllUG 

iiAi-(t)rnTiipG  guovovt'uuoii 

ijii,"jiip(;nriiHA  LiiiiiGii^'JiipG 

GliOA^LIIIAAKjM  UlIIIGiniillOOVG 

GIIIKATAIKJVriA  ^AriGli;(;  •       lUdT 

P6UBOAH2ITU  ChOAGA(|AI;MKc>  K 

n^AaiGijHA'OIG^  G^pAIGIIAOGIG 

A  ••  — 

ATGIG?pA«G?pA  G(|AtOUI  lOGAC; 

<f)IAGIII  •  IIAAOG  OVIIGhjAAA(j 

60 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC  EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 


[1906. 


UneiAAOC'GTIKG 
KOTinOIIGGei 

ojueepoi • 
ne2CA(|A(;ii{rin3:o 
eicuiiAepuuuj 
•rcHC3:ouo(3 
iyeeABHunGi 

AAOc'lir^LlAeilLI 
UAKGUOA^IIlie 

npecBTTepoc 

LinAAOC  •  AVCl) 

ncrepajBHAien 

TAKpCi^rnGIH 

^ 

poiienrq  •  gkg 

s:iuiu)(|epAi2ii 

•r6Kcria:'Kii'iitoK' 

gic2hhtgaga 

iiok''Kv2GPAT2A 

TGK2HepAiei3»:«l 
TnGTpAII\t(jpHB  • 
ATtOGKGptOeril 
TnGTpAIJTGO'C 
UOOV^OVOGBO.V 
Tl2HTG  •  IK|G(o'll 
(TinAAOC  • 
AqGipGAGeillAIII 
CTIUtOVGHG  •  liriGU 
TOGBOA'llll^yH 
p6UniHA\\TCCO 
THpOT  •  AVa)A(| 
UOTTGGnpAIJU 
nUAGTUUAT3:G 


nnCipAGUOCATUJ 
nCA^OT  •  A'(}AV 

nGipA-t,GunAo 

6ICGVi:tOMUOC 

3:6U^A:oGlG^•JO 

OniieilTUA'IJ 
UUOil  '       A(|GIAG 

HtrinALiAAiiKAq 

UI^(M.lliniHA 
epAl^lipAc|)IAGHI  . 
nG:?^At|  AGI I CT!  LIO) 
VCHC'lllIAc'pH 

ihcoto3:ggco 
•rriiiAKTTefjJipto 

LIGNIXtOlOpG'  • 

NrBa)KGr>()Aiir 

CpiJAAefJBOAUII 
HAUAAHKIipACTG  • 
ATtJt)GIG2HHTG 
AIIOKiAeGpAT' 
eiXIITAnGJinUA^ 
6T3LOG(H]p(3 

ncTGptoBiiriiiov 

TG2IITA(riA:  • 
^qGipGAGIIfrilH 
GOVGKATAOG 
GHTAt|3:0()GllA(J 

iicrmtoTGiic  • 

AqBCUKGBOAAq 
CpUAAe'CBOAUII 
HAIIAAHK  • 

U«JVCI  IGAGATCO 


61 


Feb.  14] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV. 


[1906. 

nr 


AAptUll  UIKt)|)AT 
A2UpA"l'OV(i3^ll 
•rAII(;llll  TAA  • 

AvtoyjAc^ytorin 

CijV'JAIIIKOVdK"/ 

qiijiiec|(riAO?|>Ai 
^Aticruo'ouiKri 
iiiii.v  •     npyjAii 

IUU'i"(;iK;A(;KA 

iiocjtri>:(:iK;(;iiT' 
^^AqoMKrouiio'i 
nAUAAiiK-  iicrix 

AeUIJOiVOHCAV 

epo^yAVAiAcni 

OVtUIKJAVKAACJ 

eApoqAqeiiooc 

0^pAIC:>^CJ[)(|    •     AA 

pcoiJAeuiKop 

IJ(3TC|l2AII(U|(riX 

ovA>HmcA'uuoq 

AVtUK(;()VA'?inAI 
UUU(|  •       AV^CO 

nGiio'iiurixuiJoi 

TCHCeVTAApi  IT 

jyAniJAViiiipii 
n(|iiA?a)Tii  • 
iiicc)VCA(;A(jcre 

TirilAIIAAIIK'uiJ 
ll6t|AAOCTHpq 

eiioreajTBM 
cHqn  •     nGAwq 
^eircrinxoeiciJ 


62 


IIA^pilUCOVCHO 

.. ..  A. 

XHC^AIUHAieVp 

^l^(U}V(3^llov 

A'tUtDliC;  •   lirA'O 
OGOMIIAAAClll 
III(U)V(;A'(3^II 
OV(|ll)r(;(;r>C)A'   • 
•hllAiyCOTOOIiOA' 

iiiipiiii(;nv(Hi 

riAIIAAIIK-  2ATII(i 
i^TtUAqKOJTIIOM 
UOJTCHOIIOT 
OTCIACTIipiOll' 

unAoniG\vquov 

TOUn(3(|pAIIA(; 

na^oeiG  ikjIiaua' 
untuT  •    A:e^pAl 

2IIOV(riA(iC?Hll' 

nxoeiouiiye 

UlinAllAAIIKAIII 
ACOirX'JAAtDll  • 
^(JGtUTllAGIHn 
lOOOpilOVHHB 

uuAAl^Au'^Iyou 

UUtOTCHG  • 
GetOlilllUGIITA 
nSOGIGAAVU 
nG()AAOGniHA  • 

AriAoeiciwpu 

niMAGBOAeiIKH 

ue  '     Aq2fiA6 
H(riioeopnjaou 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC  EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 


[1906. 


LILICOTCHCIICe 
<t)tOpAOI  IIGU  LltO 
TCHCUIIIICA 
Tpe(|KAACIIII 

n6(j;yii|HH;iiAT 

npAIILIIIOVA'u 
UO()Vn(;l"llp 

CAun(|Aa)uiioc 
:s:n(]i()iipiiiin'()i 

AR^IIOVKA^OU 

ntoiAiiriG  • 
ATconpAiiunuGe 
ciiAT'neGAier.ep 

r:l|A'«)UUOC3LG 
miOTTCHinAGI 
Un' I  l(;l  I AI.OH 
eOG    ♦    ATlDAqTOT 

yoGieiiOAeiiTO'ix 

A 

ll(|)ApAa)  .       Ai]Xi 

^Giltriiooopii^ou 

UUCjUVCHCIIIIGq 
^HpGUIJTGq 
CeiLIGGepAIGTe 
pHUOG'iyAUCOT 

CHc'enuA^GiiTAq 

iyu)n62pAiii2H 

•rqeepAiGHTO 

OTUmiOVTG  • 
AT3:inOTtOAGU 
UtOTGHCGTXCD 
UUOCXGGIGnCK 
iaOUKIHTGTCl) 


63 


UTGpOK  UIITGK 

cenKniiirKJK 

^liptiCJIAVIIII 
MAtj    •    A()(nAG 

Gr.oAiKriuujT 

GIIGGTOJUTG 

nG(|^'jc)UAqoT 

A   

ujiyniAq  •  avo) 
A(|*|-niGpa)t|\vT 

AOnAr.GIIIIGT 
GpMV  •  AqAITOT 
6eOVIIGr(;GKH 
IIH    •    UUJTGHC 

IXGAqxojGneq 

^OUIieCOBIIIII 

GHTAn:\:oGiG 

AAVLul)ApACJUU  U 
HpillJKHUGG 

TBGniHA*  uunei 

GGTHpqGIITAq 

jycjuncuuooT 

2IT62IH  •       ATOl 

XGAnXOGIG 

TOTXOOT6BOA 

2UTtri3fLI(J)ApAa) 

UIITCriAUIipU 

A. 

IIKHLIG     •     Aqp 

^UnHpGAGIICTI 

l0'00pG2pAIG 

xiJiiArAeoiJ 

TlipOVGIITA 

nA'OCICAATIIAT 

F    2 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

lie 


GBOA"  2HTOM^:illJ 
pUIIKHUe  •  LIU 

/v  

TCI.XUtjJApAtDlip 

po'iiKiiue  • 

nGAAC|A(3IICrilO 
Gop'3:oqcuAUA 
ATiicrin3:oeiG^ 

3CeA(|TOT3fo'u 
ne(|AAOC6BOA^ 

?ii  r()i:^mipu 

IIKHM6    •    AVtO 
eBOAeilTO^IAII 
c|)ApACO^  •    TGIIOT 

Aieiiin,\6oviioa' 
neniioTTenA 
pAiiiiovTern 
poT  •      GTBenAI 
AqTOJOTIieepAl 

e3cu)OT  •  Aqxi 
^eiitriioeopii 
2eiJO\\iA'uii?eij 

eTCIAGTAAOOT 

eepAiuniioTTG  • 
i^qoiAeucTiAApioij 
uiiiienpocBT 

TepOCTHpOT 
UrilllAROVtOU 

ijoToeiK'uii 
riiyoijuutuv 
CHc'uneuTO 
eBOAuniio'ne  • 


^TtOAC^tDlie 

uTlTTcAneqpAC 

T(i\vC|2UOOOII 
0"IIKL)VCII(;(;Kpi 

neunAAOG  • 

ATlUIJ6qA2epAT(| 

iicrmAAOCTiip(j 

eUtUVCHCAill 

2Toovo,")Apo'r 
ee  •     AcpiAVAeii 

CrilOOOp(3^COBIIIl/ 

GTqGipeuuoov 

UHAAOG    •    n6AA(| 

A 

AeiiA(j>:eovne 

nAIUTOKt"TK 

eip6iiii()(|iinAA(>c  • 

CTBGOVK^UOOG 
NTOK  HAAOCAe 
AeopATqopOK 
XllieTOOTGiyA 
pOVee    •       MGA'Atl 
2^f3IIO'IUtOTCHC 

uneq^ou^^ee 

iyApGHAAOCei 
6pATe,"JIM(;ll 
CAn?An^GB()A2l 
TUIIIIOVTG    • 
ep^ilAIIOTAIITI 

AoriATAp^'jajne 

—  A. 

WATIICGGI^^ApOl  • 
^Arl-eAllGMOVA 

rio'i'ATA'rcABOor 


64 


Feb.  14]       THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC  EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 

ns- 


[1906. 


n 


eilOTG2CAeil6 

iiniioTTe^uii 

neqiiouoc  • 

e3:AqAeiiAqii 

crm^ouuuto 

TCHG^xeiirei 

peAMuni^Axe 

2IIOVCOOVTII  • 
eilOTTAKO'KIIA 
TAKo'llTTLie^ 

qiiiroK'uiinei 

AAOCTHpt|6TIIU 

uak'  •  nei,"JA3:e 
eop^iiAix'  •     iir 

UA^JOUOrOUAIJ 
eAAqilATAAK  • 

TeiJOTcreccoTU 
epoiTAX!"it)-^ne 

IIAK'uTRnilOT 

Te^corieiiLi 

TOKUI16l.\AOC 


IIIIA?punilOVT6  • 

iirA'iR^pAiiiiieT 
^yA:v(illlIA'^pu 
niJOVTe  •  iir 

pUUrpGIIAVIIIl 

oTeecAeiieu 
iiuoTTeuimeq 

HOIIOC    •    lll'TA 

L'ooTeiieeioove 

eTOTIJALIOO^e 


2PAIII2HTOTI1M 

ije?BHveeTov 

IIAAAT  •       IITOK 

AeiircojTnuAK^ 
eiio.\2un.\AOG 
weeiipojueiT 
xcoojpeiipeq 
jyu^euniioT 
Te  •  ^eiipioiie 

KIAlKAIOCev 


65 


uoGTeiJTuirr 

2CAr.l2HT'  •  UTTA 
eOOVOpATOV 

eepAiGj^^tooTij 

All^yo'.  AVID  1 1  AM 

^eVvvtOllAIITAIOT 

AVCUIIAIIUHTIJ 

ceKpiiieunAAOc 

IIIIAVIJIU 

n^A3:eA6iiToq 
eT^coceiiceu 

TqepATKUKOTI 

AeiieAn'iiceKpi 

HeULIOOV^  •  ATCO 

ceiiAi-uToii 

UAK  •     iiceqi 

IIULIAK   •    e^to 

neAeeK^yAij 

eipeLmei^yA 

xe'niioTTeiiA 

•|-UToniiAKiir 

«  ucroueAgepATK  • 


Feb.  14] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY 


[1906. 


ATaineiAAOCTH 

|n|llnv^;^pAle 
iioquA^iJorei 

|>HIIH    .    AVtOAtJ 

CuvrmicriutuT 

O  H  C^  U  C  A  n^  AX  6^ 

unncjiyoirAq 

r;ip(;lllieilTA(J 

A()()VliAt|  •  AVtO 

A(JCtOTnil26IJ 

ptUUeUATIIATOC^ 

GBO.WliniH.VTH 

|)(|  •  AqKAOICTAU 

U()OVt3?pAir:AtO 

oviiaii^o'avuj 

IIAIIiUe  •  AVCON 
AIITAIOV  •  AVtOII 
AIIUHT'  •  ATKpiHe 
linAAOCIIIIAVIIIU  • 
^AXCiAGIIIUeT 

AociGiiereiiie 

UUOOVIIIIA?pU 
IIU)VCHC'll6T 
COIiKAeiieTKpi 
IHMIIIOOV  • 
^^()A()()VA(;IIOIlltO 
VGIICIIIHKI^'JOU^ 

A(|r»ii)KCj2pAie 
ii(;(p;Ae  • 
^l>AiA(;?iiniie2 
;'j<)iiiii(jr>OT^ 

UIIGIGbU.Mlll 


n^ 

^lip6UniHAi>ll 
IIKAeilKIUIG  • 
^pAI^UriGI^OOT 

A. 

ATGIG2pAI(';ll,\A 
GIGIICIIIGepAl 
GepAqiAGIU  • 

AVTUJOniAGe 
BO.\?ll^pA(J)IAGIII  • 

AVGIGepAIGIlAAIG 
IJCIIJA    •    AlllliA 
OT62IIAt|IIIIllA' 
OTUUATUnGU 
TOGBOAUnrO 
OT    •    AqBOJKG 
epAIIICriUtOVGHC 
eXURTOOTU 
nilOVTG  •  A()UOT 

TGopoqiio'iniioT 

TG^GBOAiJIIHTO 
OTGqACDIIUOG  • 
2CGIIAIIieV|-KIIA 

2COO'runiiiiiiA 

KOJb'  •  lll'OVOII^ 
eOT'CBOAuil^ll 


pGlinillA    •    XGII 

TanilATGTII 

IJAV  •  GIKJHTAIAAV 

lllipUIIKHLIG  • 

ATOJAIAIUUtOTII 

ll()(;(j^pAI(■^■|l 

2(nrni^iiA(;T()G  • 

AGIGAi^llTIIVTII 


66 


Feb.  14]      THE  ZOUCHE  SAHIDIC  EXODUS  FRAGMENT. 


[1906. 


e?OTII6poi  • 

TeiioTcreeiioT 
GcorueTe'ru 
iyAHCtoTuenA 

epOOT  •  IJTeTH 

eApeeexAAiABH 
KH    •   TeniA^uj 

nOIIAIIIOVAAOC 

eqTOTHTeBOA 
eiiiieeeiiocTH 
porncoirApne 

HKAeTHpq  • 
IjlTCJUTIIAeilTe 

TiiiytoneiiAiHOT 
uirrepo''     uiiot 


UIJTOTHHB  •  ATtO 

OTeeBiioceq 

OTAAB  •       IIAIH6 

H^jAA'6orKiiA3:o 
OTHHiyHpeuniMA 

AqeiAeiicriuujT 
cHc\\quoTTe6 
iienpecBTTe 
pocuriAAOc  • 

AqKU)miei^A^'6 

HIIA?pATIIAI6KI 
TAHIIOTTOeO 
IIOT6TOOTq  • 
AqOTtO^BAfillO'l 
RAAOCTHpqei 

ovcon'eq3:cou 

UOC3^K2tOBIllU^ 


euTAnMOTTe 

XOOTTIIIIAAAT  * 

irriicanucpooT 
UujTCHCAeAq3:to 

HIJ^AXeTHpOT 


U^AAOCIIIIA^pLI 
HHOTTe • 

IlnAwqAeiioNrixo 


eiciiiiAepuuio 
TCHC^xeeiceH 

HTe\\IIOK'|-||IIT 

^yApoKeiioT 

CTVAOCilKAO 

OAG  •  xeKAce 

penAAOccto 

TU6poiei^'jA,\e 

IJUUAK'  •   IICeTAIJ 

eoTrK'^Afiiioe  • 
Akq:^u3Aeiio'iuuj 

TCHClllJ^A2Ce 
UnAAOCHIIAepU 

n3:oeic  •  nexAq 
2^eiJcrin3;:oeicu 

UOiTCHC'srOBCOK 

/v. 

enccHT'iirp 


UIITpeuniAAOG  • 

AVtOlirTBBOOT 

UnOOTLIIipACTe 

HcepojeoiiiieT 
eoGiTe'iice^yuj 
neeTCBTtoTG 
nuee^ouTiieooT  • 


67 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


TO   WHAT   RACE    DID   THE   FOUNDERS   OF   SAIS 
BELONG  ? 

By  Percy  E.  Newberry. 

Evidence  has  lately  been  accumulating  to  show  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Delta  in  the  earliest  historical  times  differed  to  some 
extent  in  race  and  culture  from  those  of  Upper  Egypt ;  but  we  are 
still  in  the  dark  as  to  who  these  people  really  were.  The  object  of 
the  present  paper  is  to  draw  attention  to  a  very  interesting  fact 
regarding  the  dwellers  in  the  North-western  Delta  which  has  as  yet 
escaped  the  notice  of  archaeologists. 

Of  the  early  history  of  Lower  Egypt  we  know  little  beyond  the 
merest  outlines.  That  it  was  at  a  very  early  period  divided  up 
into  a  number  of  petty  kingdoms,  with  a  Chieftain  at  tlie  head  of 
eachji  is  certain.  rVt  a  later  period  these  Chieftains  were  united 
under  a  common  ruler,  a  king  of  Lower  Egypt,  who  appears  to 
have  been  originally  a  Chieftain  of  Sais,-  and  whose  capital  was  Sais.^ 
The  chief  deity  of  this  city  was  the  goddess  Neith,  and  the  crown 
which  she  is  generally  represented  as  wearing  is  the  same  as  that 
which  was  worn  by  the  pre-Menite  kings  of  the  Delta. ^     How  many 

'   Newberry-Garstang,  A  SItort  History  of  Ancient  Egypl ,  p,  17. 
-Newberry,    "On   the    Morus-title    of    the    Kings    of    Egypt,"   P.S.B.A., 
Vol.  XXVI,  p.  298. 

^  In  the  inscriptions  of  the  XXVIth  Dynasty  there  are  often  references  to  a 

temple  of  Osiris  at  Sais  that  bore  the  significant  name    \\^    I ,  which  means 

"  the  Residence  of  the  King  of  Lower  Egypt " — a  name  which  Mr.  Griffith 
(Petrie,  /\oyal  Tombs,  I,  p.  37)  has  observed  may  well  preserve  an  important 
relic  of  history. 

^  On  the  Palermo  stone  the  names  of  the  kings   of  Lower  Egypt  are  each 

determined  by  the  sign  ^. 

68 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOUNDERS  OF  SAIS.  [1906. 

kings  of  Lower  Egypt  there  may  have  been  we  do  not  know  ;  but 
the  remains  of  the  names  of  thirteen  of  them  are  found  on  the 
Palermo  stone.-^  These  Delta  people,  if  they  did  not  themselves 
invent  the  system  of  hieroglyphic  writing,  at  all  events  adopted  and 
Egyptianized  it.  They  were  clever  artists,  especially  in  sculpture, 
and  it  seems  probable  that  they  were  advanced  in  the  science  of 
astronomy,  for  to  them  the  Upper  Egyptians  owed  the  introduction 
of  the  Calendar.^  Their  proficiency  in  writing  and  carving  alone 
show  how  civilized  these  Delta  people  were  ; ''  they  were  nevertheless 
conquered  by  a  less  cultured  race,  the  Upper,  or  Dynastic,  Egyptians, 
on  whom  they  imposed  their  civilization. 

These  Upper  Egyptian  conquerors  were  led  by  a  king  named 
Narmer.  He  appears  to  have  married  Hetep,^  a  Saite  princess, 
who  brought  with  her  to  Upper  Egypt  a  number  of  Saite  attendants. ^ 
It  is  possible  that  she  was  the  mother  of  Aha  (Menes),  the  Founder 
of  the  Monarchy  and  the  first  king  of  United  Egypt. i*^  The  name  of 
this  queen  occurs  on  several  small  tablets  found  in  a  royal  tomb  at 


*  Schafer,  Ein  Briichsticck  altdgyptiscJur  Annalen,  p.  14.  The  names  are  : — 
(I)  .  .  .  .  pu,  (2)  Seka,  (3)  Kha-au,  (4)  Tau,  (5)  Thesh,  (6)  Neheb(?),  (7)  Uaz-an, 

(8)  Mekba,   (9) a  ;    of  the  remaining  four  names  only  the  determinatives 

are  preserved. 

^  Breasted,  History,  p.  32. 

'  Newberry-Garstang,  Short  History,  pp.  18,  19.  Sais  was  celebrated  for  its 
artists,  and  the  Saite  school  of  sculpture  is,  I  believe,  traceable  right  through  the 
whole  course  of  Egyptian  history.  Sais  was  also  famous  for  its  learned  doctors 
(see  Ebers  Papyrus,  p.  47). 

^  I  read  the  name  of  this  queen  Hetep  "  Peace,"  "  Contentment,"  a  common 
Egyptian  name,  rather  than  Neith-hetep  ;  the  Neith-sign  which  usually  accom- 
panies it  I  take  to  be  the  title  "  Chieftainess  of  the  Saite  nome  "  (see  P.S.B.A., 
Vol.  XXVI,  p.  298).       In  the  Brussels  Museum  there  is  actually  an  end  of  an 

ivoiy  wand  inscribed    If  '!Lk$=i ,  "  The  Consort,  Hetep,"  without  the  Neith-sign. 

^  Like  Gilukhipa,  the  foreign  wife  of  Amenhetep  HI,  in  later  times  (see 
Newberry,  Scarabs,  PI.  XXX).  Petrie  {Royal  Tombs,  II,  p.  33)  remarks:  "It 
will  be  noticed  that  out  of  70  [grave-]stones  [of  domestics]  with  signs  from  around 
[the  tomb  of]  Zer,  16  have  names  compounded  with  Neith  ;  one  may  name  Horus 
(No.  100),  but  no  other  deity  is  mentioned.  This  strongly  shows  that  the 
domestics  and  harem  of  the  king  belonged  to  the  Neith-worshipping  Libyans, 
rather  than  to  the  Dynastic  race  which  specially  adored  Hathor."  Zer,  it  should 
be  remarked,  was  the  successor  of  Mena,  and  the  stelae  found  around  his  tomb 
may  well  have  belonged  to  the  attendants  (nearly  all  females)  of  Queen  Hetep  ; 
Petrie  says  that  the  toilet  articles  of  Hetep  were  found  in  the  graves  of  her 
servants. 

'"  Newberry-Garstang,  Short  History,  p.  19. 

69 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCII/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

Naqada  and  on  many  small  objects  discovered  at  Abydos.     Accom- 
panying the  name  on  some  of  the  monuments^^  is  the   sign 
which  here  I  read  as  a  title,   "  Princess  of  Sais,"  i-  and   on   three 

of  her  toilet  objects^"  occurs  the  significant  group  T  ,  "  Consort 
of  the  Double  Dominion."  ^^  This  latter  title  was  borne  by  Nefret, 
the  queen  of  Senusret  11,^^  and  by  Hatshepsut.^^ 

Three  or  four  generations  later  we  find  ariother  king  of  the 
Upper  Egyptian  1st  Dynasty — Den — taking  for  his  consort  a 
princess  named  Mer-neiih,  "the  beloved  of  Neith,"  who,  to  judge 
from  her  name,  was  also  a  daughter  of  the  House  of  Sais.  It  is  at 
this  period  that  we  find  a  remarkable  advance  in  the  culture  of  the 
Upper  Egyptian  people,  due  probably  to  the  influence  of  this 
powerful  and  enlightened  queen  ;  and  it  is  important  to  note  that 
after  this  time  and  up  to  the  end  of  the  Old  Kingdom,  women  of 
the  highest  rank,  and  even  queens  themselves,  often  took  the  title 
of  Priestess  of  Neith. i" 

Now  the  question  arises,  To  what  people  did  these  princesses  of 
Sais  and  pre-Menite  kings  of  the  Delta  belong? 

That  they  were  worshippers  of  Neith  is  certain.  Neith  was 
essentially  a  Delta  goddess,  and  the  seat  of  her  cult  was  Sais.^^  She 
is,  however,  generally  regarded  by  Egyptologists  as  of  foreign  origin 

"  Petrie,  Royal  Tombs,  II,  PI.  II,  11  and  12. 

^■•^  For  the  standard-sign  of  a  province  meaning  "  the  Chieftain  "  of  the  province, 
see  Lepsius,  Denhniiler,  II,  bl.  105. 

^^  Petrie,  Royal  Tombs,  II,  PI.  II,  11  and  12,  and  end  of  an  ivory  wand 
found  by  Amelineau  and  now  in  the  Brussels  Museum. 

»  Griffith,  in  Petiie's  Royal  Tombs,  II,  p.  48.  The  title  ^  J  I)  (j  ^ ,  "  She 
who  is  united  to  Horus,"  is  also  well  known  as  one  of  the  titles  of  the  queens  of 
the  Old  Kingdom. 

''  Petrie,  Tanis,  II,  PI.  XI.  No  one  who  studies  the  two  portraits  of  this 
queen  found  at  Tanis,  and  now  preserved  in  the  Cairo  Museum,  can  doubt  that 
she  does  not  belong  to  the  Upper  Egyptian  (or  Dynastic  people),  and  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  successor  of  her  husband,  Senusret  III  (probably  her  son), 
is  of  an  unmistakably  foreign  type. 

»6  NaviUe,  Deir  el  Bahari,  PI.  XLVIII,  p.  16. 

^'>  See  Mar.,  Mastabas,  pp.  90,  162,  201,  262,  326,  377,  etc.  ;  Lepsius,  Z?^;?/!'. , 
II,  bl.  10,  15. 

18  Mallet,  Le  Citlte  de  Neith,  p.  83. 

70 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOUNDERS  OF  SAIS.  [1906. 

— i.e.,  foreign  to  the  Dynastic  Upper  Egyptians. ^^  She  is  usually 
spoken  of  as  of  Libyan  ~"  origin,  but  there  is  in  reality  no  more 
ground  -^  for  this  statement  than  the  fact  that  the  people  called 
Libyans  {Temehu)  wove  her  emblem  into  their  garments  at  the  time 
of  the  XlXth  Dynasty  :  before  that  period  she  is  not  found  especially 
associated  with  Libyans.  Her  name  occurs  on  monuments  belonging 
to  the  earliest  period  of  Egyptian  history  ;~~  it  is  constantly  met  with 
on  the  most  primitive  type  of  Egyptian  cylinder-seal;-^  some  of  the 
most  ancient  personal  names,  as  we  have  seen,  are  compounded 
with  it,~^  and  one  of  the  earliest  historical  tablets  bears  a  representa- 
tion of  her  shrine  (PI.  I,  figs.  4  and  5). 

The  emblem  of  the  goddess  at  the  time  of  the  1st  Dynasty  and 

down  to  the  IVth  was  (i)  two  crossed  arrows,    yC  ,  or  (2)  a  slender 

shield,  shaped  somewhat  like  the  figure  8,  with  two  arrows  across  it.-^ 
(PI.  I,  figs.  6,  7.) 

During  the  IVth,  Vth,  and  Vlth  Dynasties  the  name  of  the  goddess 
is  written  with  the  crossed  arrows  alone,  or  with  a  sign  which  may 
originally  have  been  a  rectangular  shield  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  with  crossed 
arrows,  but  which  in  the  Vth,  Vlth,  and  Xllth  Dynasties  certainly 
represented  a  shuttle  ^6  (pi.  I^  figs.  9,  10).  Later,  the  emblem  of 
the  Saite  nome  is  the  regular  rounded-top  shield-*  (PI.  II,  fig.  12) 


'''  In  the  Pyramid  Texts  (Pepy  I,  696)  Neith  is  named  together  with  Set  as 
though  she  were  his  wife.  Thothmes  III  was  taught  by  Set  to  shoot  with  the 
bow  and  arrow,  and  before  him  in  the  scene  representing  the  King  with  his  Divine 
Tutor  is  the  emblem  of  Neith  (Moret,  dit  caradere  religieiix,  etc.,  p.  105). 

-*^  Mallet,  I.e.,  p.  84  ;  Wiedemann,  Keligion  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians,  p.  140  ; 
Petrie,  Naqada  and  B alias,  p.  64  ;  Breasted,  History,  pp.  31-32. 

-'  Maclver,  Libyan  Notes,  pp.  69-70. 

'^^  Loret,  "  Quelques  idees  sur  la  forme  primitive  de  certaines  religions  egyp- 
tiennes,"  in  Rcvtie  egyptologiqiie ,  tome  XI,  p.  76,  fig.  7  ;  Breasted,  History,  p.  30. 

'^  Cf.  Newberry,  Scarabs,  PI.  Ill,  2,  5,  7,  and  10. 

"^  See  Petrie,  Royal  Tombs,  I,  PI.  XXXI,  9-1 1,  20;  PL  XXXII,  14,  15; 
Royal  Tombs,  II,  PI.  XXVI,  51-57,   72-75,  97-99. 

•io  ^  reminiscence  of  this  shield  is  found  in  the  Neith-sign  in  the  tomb  of 
Hetep-her-es  of  the  Vth  Dynasty  at  Sakkara  (Mar.,  Mast.,  p.  90;  cf.  Mallet, 
Le  Citlte  de  Neith,  p.  178,  and  the  figure  in  P.S.B.A.,  Vol.  XXVI,  page  298, 
fig.  8  of  Plate). 

'^'  Neith,  besides  being  the  Goddess  of  War,  was  the  inventress  of  the  art  of 
weaving  :  she  was  the  weaver  who  made  the  world  of  warp  and  woof  [cf.  Mallet, 
I.e.,  pp.  185-186,  and  Maspero,  Dawn  of  Civilization,  p.  128). 

-"  This  form  of  shield  is  found  as  early  as  the  time  of  Menes  ;  indeed,  it  occurs 
in  his  Horus-name,  CK) ,  Aha. 

71 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

of  the  people  of  Upper  Egypt,  with  the  crossed  arrows.  In  the 
XVIIIth  Dynasty  the  name  of  Neith  is  sometimes  written  with  an 
oval  shield  (PI.  II,  fig.  11),  which  is  found  again  in  the  XXVIth 
Dynasty  (PI.  I,  fig.  5);  but  from  the  XlXth  Dynasty  onwards  the 
name  of  the  goddess  is  generally  written  with  the  two  forms  ot 
shuttle,  >CZK  or  x=x. 

Now  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  S-form  of  shield  found  on 
the  pre-dynastic  cylinder-seals,  in  the  title  of  Queen  Hetep  (PI.  I, 
fig.  3),  tablet  of  Aha  (Menes)  showing  the  shrine  of  Neith,  on  the 
stele  of  Mer-neith  (PI.  I,  fig.  7),  and  in  the  sign  of  the  Saite  nome 
in  the  tomb  of  Methen  (PI.  I,  fig.  6),  should  not  have  been  used 
in  hieroglyphs  after  the  IVth  Dynasty.  It  is  replaced  in  the  Vth 
Dynasty  by  the  rectangular  shield,  and  later  by  the  common  Upper 
Egyptian  shield,  rounded  at  the  summit  and  square  at  the  base, 
while  in  the  XVIIIth  Dynasty,  and  sometimes  in  the  XXVIth,  an 
oval  form  of  shield  is  shown. 

This  8-form  of  shield  which  we  find  occurring  in  the  earliest 
standard-signs  of  Neith  is  of  considerable  interest ;  it  is  the 
characteristic  form  that  was  used  by  the  earliest  historical  inhabitants 
of  the  Eastern  Mediterranean.  The  Mycenaean  shields-^  (PI.  II, 
figs.  16-18)  were  of  identically  the  same  shape,  and  Prof.  Ernest 
Gardner  has  described-^  some  curious  objects  found  among 
Mycenaean  antiquities  which  "  have  a  symbolical  meaning  and  are 
of  a  form  which  is  derived  from  shields.  They  are  to  be  regarded," 
he  continues,  "as  conventional  and  abridged  representations  of  an 
armed  divinity.  To  call  them  Palladia  is  the  simplest  way  of 
expressing  this  fact,  whether  it  be  true  or  not  that  those  who  made 
them  identified  this  armed  divinity  with  the  goddess  whom  we  know 
as  Pallas  Athene  of  later  Greece."  These  Palladia  are  of  two  shapes  : 
one  is  the  8-shaped ;  the  other  is  a  form  derived  from  it  (see  PI.  II, 
fig.  21),  and  is  exactly  like  the  shield  used  by  the  Hittites  in  the 
scene  of  the  battle  of  Kadesh  figured  in  the  Temple  of  Rameses  II 
at  Thebes "0  (see  PI.  II,  fig.  22).  On  a  monument  from  the  Castle 
gateway  at  Zenjirli'^i  (PI,  II,  fig  15),  in  Asia  Minor,  a  Hiltite  warrior 


^  Cf.  Jozirnal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  215,  fig.  24  ;  Schuchardt, 
Sckliemann^s  Excavations,  pp.  229  and  277. 

'^  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  24. 

■^  The  Boeotian  shield  is  somewhal  similar  to  this  Ilitlite  form.     See   ^.H.S., 
XIII,  p.  214. 

^'  Messerschmidt,  The  Hittites,  p.  33,  fig.  3. 

72 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOUNDERS  OF  SAIS.  [1906. 

carries  a  shield  of  the  8-form  {PI.  II,  fig.  15).  The  so-called 
Amazonian  shield  of  Pontus  was  shaped  something  like  the 
figure  of  8,  and  it  is  important  to  note  that  "  in  early  art  the 
Amazons  are  robed  in  Hittite  costume.  The  dances  they  performed 
with  shield  and  bow  in  honour  of  the  goddess  of  war  and  love  gave 
rise  to  the  myths  which  saw  in  them  a  nation  of  women  warriors. 
The  Thermadora,  on  whose  banks  the  poets  place  them,  was  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Hittite  monuments  of  Boghaz-Keui."  The 
ancilia""^  of  the  Salii  (PI.  II,  figs.  19,  20)  was  of  the  same  form  :^3 
an  oblong  shield,  which  would  have  been  a  complete  oval  but  for  a 
curved  indentation  on  either  side. 

We  have  now  seen  that  the  shield  used  by  the  early  people  of 
Sais,  in  the  Western  Delta,  was  (1)  of  a  different  form  to  that 
employed  by  the  Upper  Egyptians,  and  (2)  that  it  was  of  identically 
the  same  shape  as  that  used  by  the  Mycenaeans,  the  so-called 
Hittites,  and  the  aborigines  of  Latium.  The  question  therefore 
naturally  suggests  itself,  In  what  way  were  these  inhabitants  of 
the  Western  Delta  related  to  the  people  of  the  North-eastern 
Mediterranean  ? 

Inhabiting  the  Delta  in  very  early  times  was  a  mysterious  people 
called  the  Haaii,  or  "  Fenmen,"  '■^^  foreigners  to  the  Upper  Egyptian 
Dynastic  race,  to  whom  it  was  expressly  forbidden  to  communicate 
anyof  the  magical  protective  formulae  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead.^^ 
Whether  these  people  were  the  same  as  the  Ha-nebu  of  later  times 
is  not  certain,   but  Neith  in  a  late   inscription  -^^ — of  the  time  of 

Nectanebo — is  called         \  ^^  > — 1  ^  "Mistress  of  the  Mediterra- 

nean,"  and  in  this  quality  accorded  to  the  king  I  I  1  1  1 ,  "all 
foreign  lands,"  and  he  in  return  dedicated  to  the  temple  of  Neith  a 


^  Baumeister,  Denkin.,  p.  1546.  On  the  history  of  the  Salii  see  Marquardt, 
Staatsverw.,  Ill,  pp.  427-438. 

^^  Ridgeway,  Early  Age  of  Greece,  p.  455. 

^  On  the  Haaji  or  Ha-nehti  see  Hall,  The  Oldest  Civilization  of  Greece, 
pp.  158-160,  and  the  same  writer,  "  Keftiu  and  the  People  of  the  Sea,"  printed  in 
the  Annual  of  the  British  School  at  Athens,  No.  VHI,  1901-1902.  Hall  takes 
these  Fenmen  to  have  been  ignorant,  uncultured  people,  but  on  this  point  I  do 
not  agree  with  him. 

^"  It  is  important  to  note  that  Neith  plays  a  very  insignificant  role  in  the  Book 
of  the  Dead. 

^  Maspero,  Miisee  du  Caire,  PL  XLV,  pp.  41-42. 

73 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^OLOGV.  [1906. 


tenth  of  all  the  things  which  came  from  "^^  "^^  a^aaaa  "W  y^^  ^37 , 

"the  Great  Green  Sea  of  the  Hau-nebu."  Now  Neith  has  been 
identified  with  the  armed  divinity  we  know  as  Pallas  Athene  of  later 
Greece,  and  there  is  a  tradition  recorded  by  Plato •'^'  that  "the 
founder  of  Sais-^^  was  a  goddess  whom  the  Egyptians  called  Neith, 
the  Greeks  Athene;  and  its  inhabitants,"  he  further  remarks,  "are 
very  much  attached  to  the  Athenians,  to  whom  they  consider  them- 
selves in  some  way  related."  Later  Greek  writers  describe  Cecrops 
(a  hero  of  Pelasgian  race)  as  having  emigrated  into  Greece  with  a 
band  of  colonists  from  Sais,  and  Diodorus  says  inconsistently  in  one 
passage  that  Sais  sent  a  colony  to  Athens, '^^  and  in  another  that  Sais 
itself  was  founded  by  Athenians. '° 

^"  Tiinaeo  (ed.  Franc),  p.  1043. 

^  It  is  curious  that  Manetho  (according  to  Africanus)  should  mention  that  the 
first  king  of  the  XV th  Dynasty  of  Shepherd  Kings  "was  named  Saites,  and  the 
Saite  nome  is  called  after  him."  The  same  ancient  historian  says  that  the  XVIth 
Dynasty  was  composed  of  thirty-two  Hdlciiic  Shepherd  Kings. 

=»  I,  28  fif.  3- 

«  V,  57,  ff.  45- 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    PLATES. 
PLATE  I. 

1.  Cylinder  Seal.     (Strasburg  Institute  of  Archaeology.) 

2.  „  „        (In  the  possession  of  the  writer.) 

3.  Chieftainess  Hetep. 

4.  The  Shrine  of  Neith.      (Tablet  of  Aha.      Petrie,  R.T.,  II, 

PI.  X,  fig.  2.) 

5.  „  „  (XXVIth    Dynasty   Stele.      Bologna 
Museum.) 

6.  Sign  of  Neith.     (Tomb  of  Methen.     Berlin  Museum.) 

7.  „  „         (Stele  of  Mer-Neith.     Cairo  Museum.) 

8.  „  ,,         (Vth  Dynasty  Stele.     MacGregor  Collection.) 
g.      „  ,,         (Vth  Dynasty  Stele.     Cairo  Museum.) 

10.      „  „         (Xllth  Dynasty  Stele.     Cairo  Museum.) 

74 


PLATE  I. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bihl.  Arch.,  Fcbntary,  1906. 


^»i  nm^^^ 


a 


mTi      JacjaaocziOQaQQOaQ 


I 


T 


n 


\£ 


^   T 


K 


^  K 


10 


PLATE  II. 


Pro(.  Soi.  BibL  Arch.^  February,  1906. 


=^S' 


11 


12 


13 


15 


17 


16 


22 


Feb.  14] 


THE  FOUNDERS  OF  SAIS. 


[1906. 


PLATE  II. 

11.  Sign  of  Neith.    (XVIIIth  Dynasty  Stele,  Der  el  Bahari.) 

12.  ,,  ,,         (Late  Inscription.     Cairo  Museum.) 

13.  Typical  Upper  Egyptian  Shield. 

14.  Shield  of  the  N.W.  Delta. 

15.  Hittite  Shield.     (Zenjirli.) 

16.  Mycentean  Shield.     {/.U.S.,  XIII,  215,  fig.  24.) 

17.  „  „          (Cornish,  p.  552,  fig.  932.) 

18.  „  „          (Cornish,  figs.  151-154.) 
ig.  Shield  of  the  Salii.     (Cornish,  p.  552,  fig.  932.) 

20.  „  „           (Cornish,  p.  552,  fig.  933.) 

21.  Mycenaean  Shield. 

22.  Hittite  Shield. 


75 


Feb.   14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


THE    FOLKLORE    OF    MOSSOUL. 
By  R.  Campbell  Thompson,  M.A. 


While  engaged  on  the  excavations  at  Kouyunjilc  (Nineveh)  during 
the  years  1904- 1905,  which  had  been  begun  and  carried  on  in  1903 
and  the  early  part  of  1904  by  Mr.  L.  W.  King,  for  the  Trustees  of 
the  British  Museum,  I  collected  as  many  magical  manuscripts  as  I 
could  from  the  natives  of  Mossoul,  and  at  the  same  time  made 
notes  on  the  folklore  of  the  Arabs.  Two  MSS.  that  I  bought  through 
an  old  Hebrew  hakhn  seem  to  be  worth  pubHshing,  because  although 
their  spells  may  not  be  traditionally  descended  from  the  first  inhabi- 
tants of  Nineveh,  yet  they  are  still  believed  in,  in  the  unspoilt  and 
mediaeval  town  of  Mossoul,  where  it  is  still  possible  to  find 
Arab  superstitions  comparatively  uncoloured  by  Western  additions. 
The  peculiar  interest  of  the  town  of  Mossoul  is  that  it  is  built 
close  to  the  site  of  Nineveh,  and  it  might  well  be  expected  that  the 
traditions  of  the  modern  inhabitants  would  retain  something  of  the 
beliefs  and  superstitions  of  the  ancient  Assyrians.  First,  however, 
it  must  be  remarked  that,  though  many  of  the  customs  of  the  present 
people  are  descended  from  the  former  inhabitants,  there  is  another 
element  visible  in  the  native  grimoires  and  magic  books  which  is  to 
be  referred  more  probably  to  an  immigi-ant  influence  than  to  a  local 
origin. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  preface  this  article  by  saying  that 
devils  of  every  kind  are  believed  in  by  all  classes,  and  Shaydthi  (the 
equivalent  of  "Satans")  and  Jinn  are,  as  elsewhere  in  the  East, 
rampant.  According  to  an  old  Muslim  magician,  who  came  to  me 
one  day,  ihajinn  are  mild  compared  with  the  Shaydthi,  for  if  one  of 
the  former  enters  a  man,  it  can  be  expelled  by  exorcisms,  but  if  it  be 

76 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  IMOSSOUL.  [1906. 

one  of  the  latter,  no  power  will  avail.  Demoniac  possession  is  oi 
course  firmly  believed  in,  a  madman  being  viajuuii  ("possessed  by 
jinn"),  and  giddiness  and  epilepsy  are  alike  referred  to  the  same 
powers  of  evil.  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  M.  Abdullah 
Michael,  chemist  of  Mossoul,  for  the  following  traditional  Arab 
cure  for  epilepsy.  A  sliekh  must  come  and  lay  a  knife  on  the 
patient's  head  ;  then,  dates  are  brought  and  fumigated  with 
incense,  the  magician  meanwhile  uttering  various  chants  over 
them,  and  then,  after  spitting  on  them,  he  gives  them  to  the 
patient  to  eat.^ 

Now  if  we  examine  the  ancient  Assyrian  magic,  we  find  very 
similar  ideas  prevailing.  To  the  influence  of  the  ahhazii-^^vi\(dx\ 
("Seizer")  jaundice  was  attributed,  the  cuneiform  medical  tablets 
describing  it  as  follows  : — 

"  When  a  man's  body  is  yellow,  his  face  yellow  and  black,  the 
root  of  his  tongue  black,  ahhazu  is  its  name :  thou  must  bake  great 
wild  MUsDiMGURiNNA,  he  shall  drink  it  in  fermented  drink.  Then 
will  the  ahhazu  that  is  in  him  be  silent."  - 

Of  other  diseases  in  Mossoul  cases  of  dysentery,  typhoid,  and,  of 
course,  malaria  are  frequently  met  with,  and  an  epidemic  of  cholera 
occasionally  visits  the  city.  Smallpox  is  comparatively  rare,  but 
ophthalmic  troubles  of  various  kinds  and  the  Baghdad  boil  are 
common.  These  two  latter  have  been  there  from  the  earliest  times: 
we  find  an  Assyrian  receipt  for  some  form  of  ophthalmia  inscribed 
on  one  of  the  Royal  Library  tablets  {W.A.I.  IV,  29*,  4  c,  10). 

"  Incantation  : — 

The  wind  blew  in  heaven  and  brought  blindness  to  the  eye 
of  the  man  :  from  the  distant  heavens  it  blew  and  brought 
blindness  to  the  eye  of  the  man  ;  unto  sick  eyes  it  brought 
blindness.  The  eye  of  this  man  troubleth  ;  his  eye  is  hurt  (?); 
this  man  weepeth  for  himself  continually. 


^  This  use  of  the  knife  is,  of  course,  only  an  instance  of  the  power  of  iron  in 
magic.  My  servant  Mejid  told  me  that  if  a  man  falls  down  in  a  fit,  or  faint  (I  am 
not  quite  clear  as  to  which  he  meant),  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  struck  on  the 
head  by  the  demon  named  Soda,  the  equivalent  of  our  Black  Man.  Giddiness  is 
also  attributed  to  the  influence  of  a  demon,  which  can  be  expelled  by  a  sMkh. 

"  Kiichler,  Beitrdge  zur  Ketintnis  der  Assyrisch-Babylonischen  Aledizin, 
p.  61. 

77  G 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.'EOLOGV.  [1906. 

"  Nnbu  hath  seen  the  sickness  of  this  man  and  (hath  said) 
'Take  pounded  cassia,  perform  the  Incantation  of  the  Deep, 
bind  up  the  eye  of  the  sick  man.'  When  Nabii  toucheth 
the  eye  of  the  man  with  his  pure  hand,  may  tlie  wind  which 
hath  afflicted  the  eye  of  the  man,  go  forth  from  his  eyes," 

An  instance  of  the  Baghdad  boil  occurs  in  an  Assyrian  astrolo- 
gical report  to  the  king  from  a  priest.     "  Concerning  this  evil  of  the 
skin,  the  king,  my  lord,  hath  not  spoken  from  his  heart.     The  sick- 
ness lasts  a  year  ;  people  that  are  sick  (therefrom)  all  recover."^ 
Now  the  boil  is  popularly  supposed  to  last  a  year. 

In  many  Oriental  countries  toothache  is  frequently  supposed  to 
be  due  to  a  worm.  This  has  always  been  the  case  in  Mesopotamia,* 
and  I  was  assured  by  educated  folk  in  Mossoul  that  if  a  man  with 
tootliache  burnt  the  berries  of  a  certain  plant  known  as  ainbubi^  and 
fumigated  his  open  mouth  with  the  smoke  of  them,  the  worm  would 
drop  out  from  the  teeth.  Through  the  kindness  of  a  friend  of  mine, 
Pere  Makdo,  a  Chaldean  priest  of  Mossoul,  who  obtained  some  of 
this  plant  from  the  hills,  specimens  of  the  berr)'  were  sent  to  me, 
and  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  W.  Botting  Hemsley,  Esq., 
F.R.S.^  of  the  Royal  Gardens,  at  Kew,  for  identifying  them.  He 
tells  me  that  it  is  the  Withatiia  soinnifera  {solanaceae),  a  narcotic 
plant  employed  medicinally  and  otherwise  by  Eastern  peoples,  the 
tnpi'xvo^  vwvw-TiKO'i  of  Theophrastus  and  Dioscorides.  But  this 
theory  of  a  worm  in  the  tooth  can  be  traced  back  to  Assyrian  times, 
and  I  append  the  incantation  against  toothache  for  comparison's 
sake  :  — 

"  After  Anu  [had  created  the  Heavens], 
The  Heavens  created  [the  Earth], 
The  Earth  created  the  Rivers, 
The  Rivers  created  the  Canals, 
The  Canals  created  the  Marshes, 
The  Marshes  created  the  Worm. 
Came  the  Worm  (and)  wept  before  the  Sun-god, 
Before  the  god  Ea  came  her  tears  : — 
'What  wilt  thou  give  me  for  my  food. 
What  wilt  thou  give  me  for  my  devouring  ?  ' 

^  Reports  of  ike  Magicians  and  Astrologers,  No.  257. 

*  It  is  also  the  case  in  China  ;  see  Coffin,  Dental  Annual. 

78 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

'  I  will  give  thee  dried  bones, 

(And)  scented  .  .  .  -wood.' 

'  What  are  these  dried  bones  to  me, 

And  scented  .  .  .  -wood  ! 

Let  me  drink  among  the  teeth. 

And  set  me  on  the  gums  ; 

That  I  may  devour  the  blood  of  the  teeth, 

And  of  the  gums  destroy  their  strength  ; 

Then  shall  I  hold  the  bolt  of  the  door.' 

'  Since  thou  hast  said  this,  O  Worm  ! 

May  Ea  smite  thee  with  the  might  of  his  fist.' 

Incantation  of  the  Sick  Mouth. 

Thou  shouldst  do  the  following  : 
Mix  beer,  the  plant  sa-kil-bir,  and  oil  together. 
Repeat  thereon  the  incantation  thrice, 
(And)  put  it  on  his  tooth."  ^ 

Of  charms  and  amulets,  of  course,  there  is  no  end,  many  of  them 
being,  as  usual,  intended  to  ward  off  the  Evil  Eye.  The  blue  beads 
plaited  into  the  manes  of  valuable  beasts  are  almost  too  well  known 
to  be  worth  mentioning.  As  an  instance  of  the  fixed  belief  in  its 
power,  nothing  could  persuade  the  sergeant  of  my  escort  between 
Aleppo  and  Der  from  attributing  a  sprained  wrist  to  the  machinations 
of  a  woman  who  had  overlooked  him  in  Aleppo  as  he  was  shifting 
some  sacks.*^ 

My  servant  Mejid  told  me  that  if  a  man  desired  a  charm  (he  did 
not  specify  the  kind),  he  was  to  take  a  dead  hoopoe  (which  are  fairly 
common  in  the  neighbourhood  of  IMossoul  in  summer),  with  a  bit 
of  inscribed  paper  tied  to  it,  to  a  cemetery,  and  lay  it  near  a  grave 
at  night.  He  must  then  read  some  book,  while  the  demons  gather 
round,  without  turning  to  look  round.     Should  he  look  round  during 

^  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits  of  Babylonia,  No\.  II,  p.  160. 

^  At  Tak-i-Bustan,  near  Kennanshah,  in  Persia,  I  noticed  a  small  boy  wearing 
a  necklet  formed  by  a  large  silver  ring  with  Liiree  pendent  amulets.  These  latter 
were  two  hands  and  a  crescent  moon,  and  the  resemblance  of  the  whole  ornament 
to  the  necklace  worn  by  the  Assyrian  kings  was  most  striking.  The  symbols 
strung  round  their  necks  represent  the  Sun,  Moon,  Venus,  and  the  forked  lightning 
of  Adad,  the  Thunder-god,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  the  hand,  which  the  little 
Persian  was  wearing,  is  an  indirect  descendant  of  the  last  named,  the  similarity  of 
form  being  most  marked. 

79 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

his  reading,  the  demons  will  have  power  to  attack  him.  Another 
charm  against  fever,  told  me  by  a  boy  employed  on  the  excavations 
named  Shekho,  who  was  by  way  of  having  a  reputation  as  a  magician, 
was  one  well  known  in  liie  East,  and  has  come  down  from  Assyrian 
times.  The  shckh  who  is  called  in  to  cure  the  patient  takes  a 
thread  of  cotton  (single,  not  plaited  in  three,  as  he  explained  when 
questioned),  and  ties  seven  knots  in  it,  putting  it  on  the  patient's 
wrist.  After  seven  or  eight  days,  if  the  fever  still  continue,  he  must 
keep  it  on  ;  if  it  passes,  then  he  may  throw  it  away.  He  must  then 
make  bread  and  throw  it  to  the  dogs.  This  latter  Shekho  explained 
as  a  kind  of  thank-offering,  but  the  root-idea  is  })robably  much 
deeper  down. 

Now  this  charm  was  met  with  in  Persia  by  O'Donovan,  who 
gives  a  full  description  of  it  in  his  Alerv  Oasis  (ii,  p.  319).  The 
thread  in  his  case  was  spun  from  camel's  hair,  folded  three  times 
upon  itself,  and  re-spun.  Seven  knots  were  then  tied  in  it,  and  it 
was  to  be  worn  on  the  patient's  wrist;  each  day  one  of  the  knots 
being  untied,  and  finally  the  thread  was  to  be  thrown  into  the 
river. 

This  very  charm  is  met  with  almost  exactly  similar  in  the 
Assyrian  incantations  against  headache.     The  directions  are  : — 

"Take  the  hair  of  a  virgin  kid  ;  let  a  wise-woman  spin  it  on  the 
"right  side,  and  double  it  on  the  left;  bind  twice  seven  knots,  and 
"  perform  the  Incantation  of  Eridu,  and  bind  the  head  of  the  sick 
"  man,  and  bind  the  neck  of  the  sick  man,  and  bind  his  life,  and 
"  bind  up  his  limbs  ;  and  go  round  his  couch,  and  cast  the  water  of 
"the  Incantation  over  him,  that  the'headache  may  ascend  to  heaven 
"  like  the  smoke  of  a  peaceful  homestead,  that  like  the  lees  of  water 
"poured  out  it  may  go  down  into  the  earth." -^ 

A  further  use  of  the  cord  folded  in  three  and  knotted  "twice 
seven  times  "  is  found  in  the  same  tablet,  and  in  the  same  way  it  is 
to  be  tied  on  the  head  of  the  patient. 

A  Muslim  cure  for  headache  in  Mossoul  was  for  a  sJiekh  to  come 
and  lay  his  hands  on  the  patient's  head,  and  then  to  drive  a  nail 
into  the  wall.  Now  this  is  simply  the  nailing  down  of  the  headache 
demon  after  he  has  been  expelled  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  just  as 
the  soul  of  a  murdered  man  can  be  prevented  from  haunting  a 
house.       I    saw  an  instance  of   this    hitter  when  I  was    in  Tripoli 

'  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits,  Vul.  II,  XXX\  111. 
80 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

(Barbary)  in  1903.  \^  hile  I  was  waiting  for  my  caravan  to  be  made 
up  for  a  journey  round  the  inland  districts,  the  proprietor  of  the 
little  Italian  hotel  showed  me  a  nail  that  had  been  driven  into  the 
paving  of  the  porch-floor.  A  few  years  back  a  native  had  been 
murdered  close  to  the  door,  and  immediattly  the  neighbouring 
Arabs  thronged  thither  with  hammer  and  nail,  and  thus  secured  the 
freedom  of  the  little  locaitda  from  being  haunted  by  the  dead  man's 
spirit.  Some  time  after  the  proprietor  attempted  to  remove  the 
nail,  but  he  was  at  once  prevented,  on  the  grounds  that  the  ghost 
would  thereby  be  released." 

My  servant  Mejid  also  told  me  that  an  Indian  had  shown  some- 
one how  to  obtain  a  charm  in  the  following  manner.  He  was  to  tie 
a  piece  of  paper  inscribed  with  some  writing  round  a  fowl's  neck,  and 
shoot  at  the  fowl  with  a  revolver  from  a  short  distance.  If  the  fowl 
was  killed,  then  the  charm  was  of  no  avail,  but  if  it  escaped  un- 
scathed, then  he  might  wear  the  charm  as  proved  and  certain. 

The  discovery  of  thieves  is  a  favourite  exercise  of  Arab  magicians. 
One  day  my  servant  lost  three  mejidis  (about  nine  shillings),  and  he 
found  a  Muslim  that  had  knowledge  of  such  things.  This  latter 
gave  him  a  piece  of  paper  inscribed  with  various  invocations  and 
cabalistic  figures,  and  told  him  to  leave  it  at  the  place  where  the 
money  was  lost.  If  the  demons,  who  inhabit  the  air,  had  taken  it  to 
add  to  the  enormous  treasure  in  their  charge,  which  every  Arab 
believes  to  exist,  they  would  return  it  at  midnight ;  if,  however,  it  had 
been  stolen  by  human  hands,  then  would  they  write  the  name  of  the 
thief  on  the  paper. 

Ordeal  by  fire  is  still  in  use,  as  in  other  parts  of  Arabia,  and  it 
was  in  this  particular  instance  that  it  was  suggested  that  a  small  boy 
suspected  of  having  stolen  the  money  should  be  taken  to  a  shekh, 
who  would  put  a  red-hot  knife  on  the  tip  of  the  boy's  tongue,  and  if 
it  did  not  burn,  he  was  innocent.  I  was  incidentally  assured  that  the 
shekh  had  knowledge  of  certain  drugs  that  could  be  used  to  prevent 
the  knife  burning. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  add  that  among  the  Assyrians  almost  all 
diseases  were  due  to  demons,  and  were  to  be  exorcised  accordingly. 
The  beliefs  in  Palestine  at  the  beginning  of  our  era  with  regard  to 
epilepsy  being  demoniac  possession  are  even  more  clearly  indicated 
in  the  New  Testament  than  in  the  Assyrian  tradition. 

^  Professor  Sayce  also  mentions  this  in  his  "Cairene  Folklore,''  Folkhve,  IQOO, 
Vol.  11,  p.  389. 

81 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCH.-FOLOGY.  [1906. 

It  is,  I  believe,  a  current  belief  also  in  INIossoul  that  a  wizard 
who  has  continually  had  dealings  with  evil  spirits  may  at  last  be 
overcome  and  killed  by  them;  at  least,  the  explanation  given  me 
by  one  of  my  diggers  on  the  mound,  when  I  failed  to  obtain  a 
seance  with  one  of  his  sorcerer-friends,  was  that  the  magician  had 
not  been  seen  for  some  time,  and  it  was  possible  that  the  demons 
had  got  him. 

The  following  story  was  vouched  for  by  my  servants  Mejid  and 
Yakub,  and  I  heard  that  it  was  also  current  in  Baghdad  when  I  was 
in  that  city.  A  certain  woman  died  before  the  birth  of  her  child, 
and  it  was  only  after  she  was  buried  that  her  child  was  born.  He 
grew  up  in  the  tomb  for  about  ten  years,  and  one  day  a  man,  digging 
into  the  grave,  found  the  child  alive.  The  boy  was  taken  out,  fed 
and  clothed,  and  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

The  well-known  story  of  death  by  fright  from  imaginary  ghosts 
was  told  me  in  the  following  form  by  Mejid :  Within  a  short 
distance  of  the  town  was  a  house  supposed  to  be  haunted  by  evil 
spirits,  and  a  certain  man  "  dared  "  another  to  go  by  night  and  rap  at 
the  door,  the  belief  being  that  the  demon  would  spring  out  to  seize 
what  he  might.  Nothing  daunted,  the  man  set  off  and  never 
returned;  and  when  the  neighbours  sought  him,  they  found  him 
dead  at  the  door  of  the  haunted  house,  with  his  cloak  caught  on  a 
nail. 

In  all  Semitic  superstition  there  is  a  fixed  belief  in  the  ability  ot 
demons  to  ally  themselves  in  marriage  with  human  beings.  Accord- 
ing to  Rabbinic  tradition  the  female  demon  Lilith  was  Adam's 
second  wife,  and  by  her  he  had  many  children,  half  devil,  half  man. 
Similarly  Liliths  were  supposed  to  ally  themselves  to  men  and  bear 
supernatural  children  to  them  which,  when  the  man  was  dying, 
would  cluster  round  his  death  bed  waiting  to  hail  him  as  their  father. 

This  had  its  origin  in  the  ancient  Assyrian  beliefs  which  are 
known  to  us  from  the  incantation  tablets,  the  Ardat  lili^  which  is 
practically  equivalent  to  Lilith,  having  the  power  of  allying  herself  to 
human  beings.  In  a  hymn  to  the  Sun-god,  among  the  possibilities 
of  affliction  the  two  following  cases  are  recorded  : — 

" 'l"he  man  whom  an  A?-dat  lili  hath  wedded, 
The  man  with  whom  an  Ardat  lili  hath  had  union."'-' 

**  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits,  Vol.  I,  p.  XXVII.  Cf.  TuLit,  vi,  14,  "For  a  devil 
lovelh  her.'' 

82 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

Another  tablet  states  even  more  closely  that  the  demon  known 
as  the  Alu  might  be  brought  into  being  by  such  semi-supernatural 
means. ^" 

Now  this  is  believed  in  by  the  Arabs  to  the  present  day. 
Professor  Sayce,  in  his  article  on  "Cairene  Folklore,"  ^^  mentions  it : 
"About  fifteen  years  ago  there  was  a  man  in  Cairo  who  was 
"  unmarried,  but  had  an  invisible  ginna  as  wife.  One  day,  however, 
"he  saw  a  woman  and  loved  her,  and  two  days  later  he  died.  It 
''  should  be  added  that  in  Egypt,  where  early  marriages  are  the  rule, 
"  bachelors  who  have  reached  the  prime  of  life  are  believed  to  be 
"  married  to  'afdrit  or  ginn.'" 

I  came  across  an  instance  of  it  at  Mossoul.  One  night  my  men 
were  di.scussing  ji7in  and  kindred  subjects,  and  incidentally  (and 
entirely  spontaneously)  one  of  them,  Yakub,  told  me  that  he  knew  a 
man  in  Mossoul  who  declared  he  was  visited  of  nights  by  a  spirit  in 
the  form  of  a  beautiful  woman  who  had  borne  him  three  children, 
and  the  n)an  was  so  enchanted  with  this  arrangement  that  he 
scorned  an  earthly  marriage. 

The  "censer,"  which  so  frequently  occurs  in  the  paraphernalia 
demanded  by  the  Assyrian  exorcisms,  is  still  used  in  Arab  priest- 
craft. A  magician  told  me  that  if  a  man  were  sick  of  a  fever,  the 
shckh  would  come  and  "read"  over  him;  but  if  this  were  not 
enough  to  cure  him,  the  shckh  would  bring  a  censer  to  fumigate  him, 
by  putting  it  at  the  patient's  feet  and  letting  him  crouch  over  it. 

As  to  actual  native  medicines  in  use,  certain  herbs  are  of  course 
in  great  demand.  For  a  "weeping  eye"  I  was  told  that  .^-^^  S^ 
"red  aloes"  was  used,  and  for  "red  eye"  human  milk.  For  a 
stomach-ache  a  man  was  to  drink  cinnamon,  which  grows  near 
Mossoul ;  and  for  a  swelling,  a  lotion  of  oil  and  hawajcnva,  a  red 
plant  which  grows  wild,  was  to  be  rubbed  on,  five  days  being  the 
time  it  was  supposed  to  take  to  cure  the  place. 

Of  local  traditions  with  regard  to  the  various  ancient  sites  there 
were  many.  The  belief  that  Jonah  is  buried  in  the  mosque  on  Nebi 
Yunus,  the  mound  to  the  southwards  of  Kouyunjik,  is  of  course  well 
known.  More  curious,  however,  was  a  local  belief  that,  as  the 
smaller  mound  of  Nebi  Yunus  contained  Jonah,  the  larger  mound 
of  Kouyunjik  contained  the  whale  which  swallowed  him,  and  I  believe 

10  Dez'i'ls  and  Evil  Spirits,  Vol.  I,  p.  XXVL 
"  Folklore.  1900,  Vol.  H,  p.  388. 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGY.  [1906. 

it  was  at  one  time  supposed  that  we  were  hunting  this  whale  in  our 
diggings.  Another  reason  popularly  given  for  our  excavations  was 
that  the  English  had  learnt  all  their  science,  telegraphs  and  railways 
from  the  cuneiform  tablets  that  Layard  found,  and  that  we  wished  to 
improve  on  this.  Incidentally,  while  on  the  story  of  Jonah,  it  must  be 
an  inaccuracy  to  state  that  the  city  of  Nineveh  was  a  three-days' 
journey,  as  the  one  complete  perimeter  wall  (excluding  the  outer 
eastern  ramparts,  which  do  not  make  the  journey  much  longer)  can 
be  ridden  round  in  less  than  an  hour.  There  must  be  some  tradi- 
tional virtue ^2  in  the  plain  surrounding  the  mound  of  Nebi  Yunus, 
which  overlooks  much  flat  land,  for  after  the  cholera  had  come  to 
Mossoul  in  the  autumn  of  1904,  an  enormous  crowd  came  out  thither 
at  dawn  to  pray  that  it  might  be  averted.  Unfortunately,  not 
knowing  anything  about  this  until  it  was  over,  I  did  not  see  it,  but 
the  estimate  given  by  my  servant  was  that  there  were  fifty  thousand 
people  of  all  denominations.  Curiously  enough,  this  epidemic 
ceased  a  few  days  afterwards. 

Jonah's  virtue  has  descended  on  one  of  the  properties  of  the 
mosque,  and  this  is  a  large  cauldron,  contained  in  an  adjoining 
chamber,  which  is  credited  with  a  supernatural  inexhaustibility,  from 
which  the  poor  may  be  fed.  This  was  working  when  I  visited  the 
mosque,  and  its  virtues  were  carefully  pointed  out  to  me  by  the  old 
Said. 

One  curious  survival  in  the  everyday  utensils  in  IMossoul  is  the 
small  copper  vessel  with  a  handle  which  is  used  by  everyone  for 
carrying  food  about.  In  every  detail  of  shape  it  is  the  counterpart 
of  that  held  by  the  winged  grififins  on  the  Assyrian  sculptures. 

Hypnotism  is  of  course  part  of  the  magician's  stock-in-trade.  A 
shekh  assured  me  that  he  would  be  able  to  show  me  the  house-wall 
removed,  or  would  have  put  before  me  to  eat  anything  I  liked, 
obviously  by  means  of  hypnotic  suggestion.  Inkpool-gazing  (a 
variant  of  crystal-gazing)  is  a  form  of  clairvoyance  still  in  use. 
Water-,  crystal-  or  ink-gazing  has  been  from  time  immemorial  an 
Eastern  practice,  and  directions  for  its  performance  are  to  be  found 
in  Eg>'ptian  demotic  and  Graeco-Egyptian  papyri,  in  Indian  magic 

^^  This  peculiar  sanctity  of  sites  is  not  necessarily  confined  to  Muslim  saints. 
While  Mr.  L.  W.  King  and  myself  were  collating  the  inscriptions  at  Behistun, 
we  noticed  a  bush  covered  with  small  pieces  of  rags  at  the  foot  of  the  gorge 
beneath  the  great  trilingual  inscription  of  Darius,  exactly  as  though  the  spot  were 
as  sacred  as  a  shikh's  tomb. 

84 


Feb.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

books,   and    even    in  the  Arabic  and    Hebrew  manuscripts   that  I 
piclced  up  in  Mossoul. 

My  servant  Mejid  found  a  shekh  who  was  capable  of  showing 
me  the  inkpool  magic,  and  he  came  up  to  my  hut  on  the  mound  of 
Kouyunjik  one  day  in  September.  He  was  a  spare  and  ascetic- 
looking  man  of  about  forty  or  forty-five,  and  when  he  came  into  the 
hut  he  began  his  preparations.  First  a  corner  of  the  floor  at  the 
door  was  swept,  and  he  spread  one  of  my  blankets  down  on  it  and  sat 
thereon  in  the  sunshine,  and  at  his  suggestion  Mejid  brought  a  fire- 
shovel  with  hot  coals  on  it;  then  we  found  a  small  boy  of  about  eight 
or  nine  years  of  age,  by  name  Dio,  the  son  of  one  of  my  diggers, 
between  whom  and  the  magician  there  was  little  risk  of  collusion, 
and  the  shckh  made  him  sit  down  near,  and  began  drawing  cabalistic 
figures  in  the  boy's  right  hand.  He  then  shut  up  the  hand,  and  on 
the  thumbnail  spread  a  large  patch  of  ordinary  ink,  which  he 
moistened  from  time  to  time  to  keep  it  bright,  the  boy  meanwhile 
staring  at  it  intently.  Holding  the  boy  by  the  right  wrist,  the  shekh 
rapidly  under  his  voice  gabbled  off  some  formulae,  occasionally  at 
the  periods  giving  a  short  sharp  tone  to  the  last  word.  He  began 
to  throw  some  aromatic  gum  on  the  coal-pan;  then  he  made  his 
recitation  aloud,  and  said  to  the  boy,  "  Say,  '  Come,  Shemha'il  '  ! " 
"Say,  'Come,  Berkan'l"  which  the  boy  did.  I  noticed  that  the  boy 
put  his  thumb  about  four  or  five  inches  from  his  left  eye,  not  using 
both  eyes ;  but  this  was  his  usual  custom,  as  he  always  had  a 
remarkable  squint.  Presently  he  said  "  He's  come."  Then  the 
shekh  said  "Say,  'Set  a  chair  for  the  king,'"  and  the  boy  repeated 
it,  and  then  the  shekh  asked  me  what  I  wanted.  I  said  I  wanted  to 
know  the  thief  who  had  stolen  the  three  mejidis  from  my  servant. 
"  Tell  him  to  bring  the  thief,"  said  the  magician  to  Dio.  So  the  boy 
spoke  to  the  demon  in  the  ink,  and  the  demon  brought  the  likeness 
of  the  thief.  "What  is  he  like?"  said  the  shekh,  and  the  boy 
answered,  "  Old,  and  with  a  white  beard,  from  among  the  workmen." 

We  left  this  for  the  moment,  and  passed  on  to  another  question. 
I  asked  for  a  relative  of  mine,  and  the  demon  brought  his  likeness.  I 
asked  how  he  was,  and  the  small  boy  said,  "  He  is  well  and  laughing, 
and  amln  {i.e.,  a  trustworthy  person)."  "What  is  he  like?  "  "  He 
is  .n  oldish  man,  his  face  red,  with  a  red  moustache  and  a  beard  ; 
his  clothes  are  black." 

Now  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  anything  certain  from  the  boy, 
and  it  was  not  until  leading  questions  began  that  the  red  moustache 

85  H 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY'  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV.  [1906. 

changed  to  white,  and  the  beard  vanished.  Certainly  the  person  in 
question  had  no  beard,  nor  was  his  moustache  red.  My  last 
question  whether  he  was  asleep  in  bed  or  in  the  market  produced  a 
bad  result.  The  boy  asked  the  question  of  the  image  in  his  nail, 
whether  he  was  in  the  market,  on  the  understanding  that  it  was  to 
wave  its  hand  for  an  affirmative  answer,  and  at  once  it  signified 
"yes."  Now  all  this  was  taking  place  about  four  hours  after 
sunrise  in  Mossoul,  which  is  equivalent  to  an  hour  before  dawn  in 
London. 

The  magician  laid  his  hand  on  the  boy's  forehead,  repeated  some 
words,  and  blew  in  his  face.  Dio  awoke  as  though  out  of  sleep, 
stretched  himself,  and  said  he  was  tired,  and  then  my  servant  carried 
him  off  to  identify  the  thief  of  the  first  half  of  the  scaijce.  In  five 
minutes  he  came  back  in  high  dudgeon,  declaring  that  the  boy  had 
pitched  on  a  doddering  old  greybeard  who  could  not  run  ten  yards, 
much  less  the  distance  necessary  to  have  stolen  the  money. 

The  boy  sat  down  again,  the  same  process  was  repeated,  and  I 
asked  to  know  wheie  I  was  to  dig  for  "written  stones"  in  the 
mound.  So  at  the  question  the  boy  said  the  demon  was  beginning 
to  dig  in  a  certain  place,  and  later  on  in  the  day  he  pointed  it  out 
to  me,  giving  me,  in  his  uncertainty,  the  choice  of  two  places.  I  was 
curious  to  find  out  how  he  knew  that  Shemha'il  was  a  demon,  and 
he  told  me  later  that  he  had  a  red  head  and  black  body. 

Not  even  the  most  credulous  of  spiritualists  would,  I  think, 
venture  to  bring  forward  this  instance  as  a  confirmation  of  clair- 
voyance, as  it  was  not  until  leading  questions  were  put  that  any 
result  approaching  correctness  was  arrived  at.  But  it  was  an 
interesting  survival  of  ancient  Oriental  magic. 


{To  be  contiiiued.) 


86 


Pioc.   Soc.   Bihl.   Arch.,  Fehniaiy,    1906. 


CARVED    SLATE    IN    THE    COLLECTIOxN    OE    THE 
REV.    W.     MACGREGOR. 

{From  a  Photograph. 


Feb.  14]  A  NEW  CARVED  SLATE.  [1906 


A    NEW    CARVEL)    SLATE 
(Fragmentary). 

By  F.   Legge. 

In  the  MacGregor  Collection  at  Tamworth  there  is  a  fragment 
of  yet  another  carved  slate,  which  resembles  in  most  essential 
particulars  those  already  published  by  me  in  the  Proceedings  (see 
P.S.B.A.^  1900,  pp.  125-139,  270,  271  ;  and  1904,  pp.  262,  263). 
When  complete,  it  evidently  resembled  strongly  the  smaller  of  the 
two  slates  from  Hieraconpolis,  now  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum,  and 
the  fine  slate  from  Damanhur,  now  m  the  Louvre.  Like  these  two 
examples,  the  upper  margin  was  formed  of  the  bodies  of  two  dogs 
heraldically  "supporting"  the  central  disk,  which  formed  the 
principal  motive  of  the  slate's  decoration.  The  eyes  of  the 
remaining  dog  appear  at  one  time  to  have  been  inlaid,  like  the 
eyes  of  all  the  animals  in  the  Ashmolean  slate.  Judging,  however, 
from  the  very  small  space  left  between  the  bodies  of  the  dogs 
and  the  central  disk,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  slate  contained 
any  other  decoration  or  inscription  than  that  which  now  appears 
on  it.  Mr.  MacGregor  tells  me  that  he  has  no  record  of  its 
provenance,  but  that  he  thinks  he  remembers  that  it  was  said  to 
have  come  from  Upper  Egypt.  The  work  is  poor,  but  the  persistent 
use  of  hunting  dogs  as  supporters  leads  one  to  wonder  whether  these 
animals  might  not  represent  the  totem  of  one  of  the  tribes  of  early 
invaders.  In  this  case  it  might  possibly  be  connected  with  the 
worship  of  the  god  Apuat,  who,  according  to  distinguished 
authority,  is  really  a  dog,  and  not,  like  his  brother  Anubis,  a 
jackal. 


87 


Feb.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 


The  next  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
Wednesday,  March  14th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  :  — 

E.  J.  Pilcher,  Esq.  :  "  On  Kabbalistic  Planetary  Charms." 


88 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE     SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCHAEOLOGY. 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,    1906. 


Third  Meetings  March  i^th,  1906. 
W.   H.   RYLANDS,   Esq.,  F.S.A,, 

Vice-Presiden  t, 

IN     THE    CHAIR. 


[No,  ccx.]  89 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGV.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : 

F.    Legge,     Esq. — "The    Egyptian     Heaven    and    Hell."        By 
Dr.  E.  A.  Wallis  Budge. 

Rev.   A.    B.    Grimaldi,    M.A. — "A   Catalogue   of    Zodiacs    and 
Planispheres,  ancient  and  modern." 

From  the  Author,  Dr.  Oscar  von  Lemm. — "  Iberica." 

T.  Pollard,  Esq. — "  Precis  du  systeme  Hieroglyphique  des  anciens 
Egyptiens."     Par  Champoliion  Le  Jeune. 


The  following  Candidate  for  Membership  was  elected : — 
Rev.  Arthur  H.  Powell,  The  Vicarage,  Bridgwater. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

E.  J.  PiLCHER,  Esq.  :  "  On  Kabbalistic  Planetary  Charms." 

Thanks  w^ere  returned  for  this  communication. 


90 


Mar.  14]  UNPUBLISHED  HITTITE   INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 


UNPUBLISHED    HITTITE    INSCRIPTIONS    IN    THE 
MUSEUM    AT    CONSTANTINOPLE. 

By  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  D.D.,  o^c 

His  Excellency  Hamdy  Bey  has  been  kind  enough  to  allow  me 
to  publish  the  following  three  Hittite  inscriptions  which  I  copied 
last  May  in  the  Museum  at  Constantinople.  Nos.  I  and  III  are 
published  here  for  the  first  time ;  a  copy  of  No.  II  will  be  found  in 
the  Rccueil  de  Travaux  relatifs  a  V Archcologie  egyptieniie^  etc.,  XV, 
1-2,  but  owing  to  the  conditions  under  which  it  was  made  it  is  of 
little  use  to  the  decipherer.  The  present  copy  therefore  makes  it 
available  for  study  for  the  first  time. 

No.  I.  (Plate  I).  The  monument  (No.  1193  in  the  Museum 
Catalogue)  is  said  to  have  been  brought  from  ErzerCun  ;  the  upper, 
uninscribed  part  of  it  is  broken  off.  The  elaborate  picture  of 
a  head  with  which  it  begins  may  represent  anas  "prince"; 
more  probably  it  is  the  ideographic  representation  of  the  name  of 
a  king,  since  the  suffix  -si-s  in  the  proper  name  which  follows  is  the 
patronymic.  The  usual  ame  or  amei  "  I  (am)  "  is  here  written  i-a-me. 
The  lost  character  after  ma  may  be  //;  that  which  follows  uan  is 
the  "word-divider."  There  was  no  character  after /.  The  ideograph 
of  plurality  after  the  numeral  IX  was  probably  not  pronounced ;  in 
addition  to  its  phonetic  values  {i)s  and  (jni)is,  representing  the 
ordinary  plural  in  -s,  the  Arzawa  tablets  make  it  probable  that  it  also 
had  the  value  of  (?')/,  since  by  the  side  of  the  plural  in  -5-  there  was  a 
plural  in  -/. 

When  lines  i  and  2  are  compared,  it  will  be  seen  that  mu-mu-i 
must  signify  "  nine  "  and /?/'-a-7£'-/  or  m-a-vi-i  "horses,"  since  when 
the  words  are  written  a  second  time  im^imfii  is  omitted  before  the 
numeral  and  iuawi  is  not  accompanied  by  the  ideograph  of  "  horse." 

91  I  2 


Mar.   14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^iOLOGY.  [1906. 

The  word  for  "horseman"  in  M.  XXI,  6,  id.-?^^-,  indicates  that  we 
must  read  iiia7V-i  and  iua-uas,  i.e.  iuas.  Consequently  iua  was  the 
Hittite  word  for  "horse,"  iuas  for  "horseman."  Now  the  word  for 
"  chariot "  was  Uia,  as  is  clear  from  the  fact  that  both  the  character 
which  depicts  the  body  of  a  chariot  (No.  45)  and  that  which 
depicts  the  \vheel  (No.  86)  were  alike  pronounced  tua,  and  both  are 
accordingly  used  in  writing  the  name  Tiia-na  "chariot-land" — a  name 
which  reminds  us  of  the  chariot  of  Gordius,  the  sacred  fetish  of 
Gordium.  It  is  impossible  not  to  be  struck  by  the  identity  of 
itca  and  tua  with  the  names  of  the  parents  of  the  Egyptian  queen 
Teie,  the  mother  of  "the  Heretic  king,"  more  especially  as  Dr. 
Elliot  Smith  pronounces  the  skulls  of  their  mummies,  discovered  last 
spring  at  Thebes  by  Mr.  Theodore  M.  Davis,  to  be  non-Egyptian. 
The  names  would  explain  the  burial  of  a  chariot  in  their  tomb,  and 
may  be  compared  with  those  of  Hengist  and  Heorsa  in  English 
history.  Hittite  Sun-worship,  which  identified  the  Sun-god  with  the 
god  of  the  state  and  carved  his  disk  on  the  monuments,  throws  light 
on  the  foreign  "Disk-worship"  of  Khu-n-Aten.  That  Iuas  and  Tuas 
were  Hittite  proper  names  we  know  from  the  native  inscriptions. 
T(a)uas  is  found  at  Ivriz  (see  No.  Ill  below)  and  Tua-is  or  Tuaisis, 
"  son  of  the  chariot,"  occurs  on  a  seal  in  the  collection  of  M.  de 
Clercq,  where  it  is  accompanied  by  the  figure  of  a  winged  horse 
(Pegasus).  Teuwatti  or  Tuates  (in  the  Tel  el-Amarna  and  Vannic 
texts)  is  "chariot-lord."'  In  the  Greek  inscriptions  of  Cilicia  we 
have  Qova9  and  Qoav  as  well  as  'Ovav  and  '0«s'  together  with  the 
compounds  "Oi'aai'i  "son  of  the  horse,"  'Ovaftj^uai<-  (i.e.  luwasis)  and 
'Ouay(ui't](Ti<?. 

The  inscription  reads:  (i)  id.  Tarka-'D'E'X.-kami-is-ria-s  .  .  -ID.- 
.  .  -sis  i-a-tfie  md-[ti'f\-uan  [div.]  mu-mu-i-v^-  (2)  mis  iu-iD.-a-iv-i 
Biv.-na  {?)-md  ix-w-isi  fnd-a-ui  7/nu7t-iT>-u-s-T>^T.  Div.  kai-atnma 
Div.  mis-i  DIV.  a-na-is  ix-Mis  div.  iu-a-w-  (3)  -DET.-?/flf5'-DET.  a-ma 
DIV,  ma-tu  {f)-u  nu-DET.-nu-BET.  div.  tua-u-uati  div.  uan-tias-u-su- 
uan  DIV.  iD.-7<;'-?/  una-akasu-'D'ET. ;  ".  .  of  the  district  of  Tarkamis,  the 
son  of  .  .  am  I ;  the  place  of  the  nine  horses,  (and)  of  this  place  (?) 
of  the  Nine  in  the  city  (?)  of  the  Sun-god  the  building  I  constructed, 
being  prince  of  the  city  of  the  nine  horses ;  for  the  place  of  the 
chariot  (?)  I  made  strong  a  chariot  of  wood  (and)  troughs  (?)  of 
stone." 

"Tarkamis"  is  written  Tarka-kamis  "gate  of  Tarkus"  but  like 
Sandapi  for  Sanda-dapi  is  probably  to  be  read  Tarkamis.     Cp.  the 

92 


PLATE    I. 


Proc.  Sot-.  Bibl.  Arch..  March,  1906. 


^4 


I I  I 

I I I 

\  I  I 


7 


f.    fc   III    (p 

^ 


O  Si  A  7:  cm^cf' 


IC    IL  IL  III  \L 

"'fV 


If  I]  ^  ^^  017 ^^a!>  %  Y 


f     U;     \^^^ 


t 


Fig.   I. 

ERZERUM. 

Constantinople  Museum,  No.  1193. 


PLATE  II. 


Proc.  Soc.   Bibl.   Arch.,  March,    1906. 


^4^==r 


n 


r» 


^^^^\N^x 


Mak.  14]  UNPUBLISHED   HITTITE  INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 

Thorgama  of  the  Septuagint  which  seems  preferable  to  the  Togarmah 
of  the  Hebrew  text.  It  was  the  district  from  which  horses  were 
brought  to  Syria  (Ezek.  xxvii,  14).  Ashkenaz  which  is  coupled 
with  Togarmah  in  Genesis  is  a  formation  like  Tarkhu-na-zi  "  son  of 
the  land  of  Tarkus"  or  Tarma-na-zi,  the  modern  Turmanmn,  and 
hence  must  be  identified  with  the  Greek  Askanios  and  Aska-enos. 

Md-nan  is  found  in  Ardistama  A.  3.  But  perhaps  we  should 
read  mu-iian ;  at  Hamath  mil  is  explained  by  the  ideograph  of 
"mountainous  country."  In  line  2  we  could  read  inatvi,  i.e.  ;;////, 
but  the  sense  of  the  passage  is  obscure.  Mis-i  corresponds  with  the 
Arzawan  ist  pers.  sing,  in  -/'.  The  reduplicated  nu-nii  (ist  pers. 
sing,  like  Jiiisi)  shows  that  we  must  read  iiit-wa  and  not  ami-wa  in 
M.  VII,  I,  2,  and  so  explains  nu-mis  (or  ?tu-it})  M.  XXXII,  2,  3. 
Uanna-suan  '•wooden"  is  written  (det.)  nan-nd-M\-a-su  on  the 
obelisk  of  Izgin  where  i\ti  signifying  "land"  is  given  the  value  of  na.^ 
The  ideograph  which  follows  ttanna-su-a?i  resembles  that  which  I 
have  translated  "food"  in  M.  I,  3.  It  denotes  something  which 
like  the  bowl  was  made  of  stone  and  w^as  associated  with  horses. 
The  ideograph  which  I  have  left  untranslated  in  M.  VII,  I,  2,  must 
represent  a  trough  or  tank  with  water  flowing  into  it.  (I  cannot  help 
suspecting  that  we  ought  to  read  in  this  latter  passage  m.-wa-Mis 
ka-KAS-s-md  i-iis-i-ta  "  tanks  for  this  chapel.")  We  must  notice  that 
-u  is  the  suffix  of  the  plural. 

No.  II.  (Plate  II).  From  Palanga  (No.  121 5  in  the  Museum 
Catalogue).  What  remains  of  line  i  reads  "The  prince  [a-fia-a-is-s) 
Musus  (?)  of  the  city  of  .  .  .  and  the  land  of  .  .  . ,  I  have  built  a 
gate  of  the  city."  The  ideograph  composing  the  name  of  the  prince 
may  be  that  which  represents  the  syllable  nuts  in  M.  XVI,  i.  The 
first  character  in  the  name  of  the  city  is  the  picture  of  a  boat.     The 

^  The  land  of  Uan,  west  of  Aleppo,  is  written  Uanai  in  the  geographical  list 
of  Thothmes  III  (No.  145),  and  while  it  is  followed  (No.  148)  by  Auniauqa  or 
Unqi,  it  is  preceded  (No.  141)  by  its  Semitic  equivalent  Bursu.  Bursu  is  the 
Assyrian  Imrasu,  the  Hebrew  t^*1"13,  generally  identified  with  the  Aleppo  pine 
{pimis  Hakpcnsis),  which  must  have  been  so  characteristic  of  the  original  home 
of  the  Hittite  as  to  have  been  "the  tree"  from  which  the  adjective  "wooden" 
was  derived.  The  name  of  the  land  of  Uan  survives  in  the  Bannis  of  the 
Peutinger  Table,  27  miles  from  Aleppo  on  the  road  to  Hierapolis  or  Membij  ; 
the  name  which  follows,  Thiltauri,  15  miles  distant,  is  the  Til-Turi  of  an 
Assyrian  tablet  (Harper's  Letters,  625).  In  the  Antonine  Itinerary  Bannis  has 
been  corrupted  into  Bathnas.  Here  Thilaticomum,  i.e.  "the  village  of  Tel-Atha," 
is  placed  immediately  after  Hierapolis. 

93 

I 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

lost  character  before  the  ideograph  of  "gate"  is  "one"  (//).  In 
line  2  we  have  {ua)tias  kaiiiissu  /,:a-a-MA-Ma-a  jfiis-wa  "  of  these  gates 
the  construction  I  built,  being  king  of  the  city  of  Gamer ;  a  stone 
column  ..."  For  Gamer,  see  Proceedings,  Nov.  1905,  p.  198, 
where  the  inaccurate  description  of  the  first  character  of  the  name, 
derived  from  the  faulty  copy  in  the  Reciieil,  must  be  corrected. 

In  line  2  we  have  :  "  a  («)  double-gate  for  the  gods  Sandes 
{San-dau-2vi),  Aramis  (and)  Ammi  {Am-mi-i)  belonging  to  this  gate" 
{liana  ka-me-isi).  The  form  of  the  double-gate  here  explains  the 
"  caduceus  "  which  is  merely  the  cursive  form  of  the  double-gate  as 
we  see  it  in  the  equivalent  of  the  name  of  (Kar-)kamis  (M.  XI,  3), 
where  we  should  read  Kamesu-a-tias.  The  double-gate  was  naturally 
the  attribute  of  the  city-god  :  hence  it  was  assigned  to  both  Apollo 
and  Hermes  as  representatives  of  Asianic  deities.  The  serpents 
associated  in  Greek  art  with  the  caduceus  (which  was  assimilated  to 
the  pomegranate)  belonged  originally  to  Sandes. 

In  line  4  we  find  auines  (unless  it  is  part  of  the  preceding  word) 
which  enters  into  the  composition  of  the  name  of  Aum-gal-as  (or 
Aumenuas)  and  appears  to  signify  "priest"  in  M.  XXXI,  A.  Then 
follows  kasu-ind  iii-iD.-sii-is  na-u-a-ti  (i.e.  naii)  "for  the  .  .  of  the 
stone-towers."  The  ideograph  is  too  much  obliterated  to  be 
determined  with  certainty.  The  line  ends  "  I  have  made  strong 
{'HV-nu-7va)  the  gate  of  the  Sun-god  ..."  The  5th  line,  which  is 
not  separated  from  the  fourth  by  a  line  of  division,  has  been  added 
to  the  inscription  subsequently.  The  name  of  the  Sun-god  may 
occur  in  it. 

No.  III.  The  lower  part  of  the  Tyana  monument  (M.  XXXIII,  A.) 
has  been  recovered,  and  the  whole  stela  is  now  in  the  Constantinople 
Museum  (No.  837  in  the  Catalogue).  Inscriptions  run  down  both 
sides  and  under  the  feet  of  the  figure ;  that  on  the  left  side  is  more 
than  half  broken  away,  and  that  under  the  feet  may  also  be  imperfect. 
The  commencement  of  the  inscription  on  the  right  side,  moreover, 
is  lost.  On  the  left  side  (Plate  III,  fig.  i)  we  have  asi-si-nd-s  (asinas) 
"  of  the  land  of  the  sacred  stone,"  and  the  name  of  the  Sun-god  twice 
repeated ;  also  ua-na-ta  which  may  possibly  refer  to  the  country  of 
the  Veneti.  On  the  right  side  (Plate  III,  fig.  2)  we  have  (i)  .  . 
is-\siT\-iu  .  . ;  (2)  the  name  of  the  Sun-god  with  the  adjectival  sufifix 
-is-si-i  in  the  oblique  case  ;  (3)  the  table  on  which  the  sacrificial  meal 
is  represented  in  Hittite  sculptures  as  being  placed ;  (4)  gha-lu-mes 
(for  which  see  Froceedhtgs,  Nov.  1905,  p.  194,  note  3);  (5)  "the  city 

94 


PLATE  in. 


Proc.   Sor.    Bihl.   Arch.,   March,    1906. 


i/r)  ( 
ft 


l>  c 

ft 


t^ 


Fie.    I. 


DC  n 


IC 


Fig.    2. 

TYANA. 

Constantinople  Museum,  No.  837. 


Mar.  14]  UNPUBLISHED  HITTITE  INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 

of  Tyana"  {Tit-u-iian-uan-ViKi) — where  the  lock  of  hair  must  have 
the  value  tu  or  te  and  explains  a  character  of  the  same  form  followed 
by  ic,  which  is  preceded  by  the  ideograph  of  "house,"  in  M.  XI,  2, 
and  has  hitherto  been  supposed  to  be  a  misformed  7ia — ;  (6)  iD.-ka- 
{iii)is  "protecting"  or  "consecrating,"  the  position  of  the  hand 
indicating  either  one  or  other  act.  Hence  the  translation  of  the 
whole  text  is  "  for  the  [priests]  of  the  Sun-god  a  prince  who  provides 
food  (or  '  the  prince  provides  food,'  if  we  are  to  read  it  instead  of 
mis)  for  the  communion-table;  in  the  capital  who  protects  (or  'he 
protects ')  the  sacred  column  of  Tyana." 

The  passage  is  an  important  one  for  the  history  of  religion,  on 
account  of  its  reference  to  the  communion-table  on  which  the 
sacrificial  meal  was  served.  The  table  was  cross-legged,  and  the 
priest  is  represented  in  the  sculptures  as  sitting  opposite  the  deity 
and  dressed  in  the  same  way,  while  on  the  table  itself  is  a  cup  and 
flat  cakes  of  wafer-bread  which  are  six  in  number,  the  cup  being 
placed  in  the  middle  (see  Perrot  and  Chipiez,  Hist,  de  PArt  dans 
rAntiqidte,  IV).  One  of  the  best  examples  of  it  is  on  a  monument 
from  Mar'ash  now  in  the  Museum  of  Constantinople  which  records 
the  name  of  Sandu-w-a-s  (or  Sandu-w-a-s-mi-s).  Since  nothing  similar 
is  met  with  in  Assyria,  Babylonia  or  Egypt  we  are  now  justified  in 
tracing  to  a  Hittite  origin  that  communion  of  the  worshipper  of  Mithras 
with  his  deity  through  bread  and  wine  in  which  Justin  Martyr  saw  the 
devil's  perversion  of  the  Christian  Eucharist.  The  influence  of  Asia 
jSIinor  upon  early  Christian  thought  and  practice  has  been  pointed 
out  by  Prof.  Ramsay,  and  the  Hittite  reliefs  in  which  the  deity  is 
seen  partaking  of  the  cup  give  a  peculiar  significance  to  the  words  : 
"  I  will  not  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  the  kingdom  of  God 
shall  come"  (Luke  xxii,  18). 

In  inscription  C  (Plate  III,  fig.  3)  at  the  base  of  the  stela  I  have 

placed  too  far  from  San-dii,  and   the  knife  {sii)  and  animal's 

head  {no),  which  are  much  alike  on  the  stone,   should  exchange 

places.       The    text  begins :    na   det.  San-du-me-s    Tu-        md-na-i. 

^  ^  na 

"  This  the  Sandian  for  the  people  {ijianai)  of  Tyana  .  .  "  The 
character  after  Tua  which  has  the  value  of  na  at  Karaburna  is, 
I  think,  a  picture  of  a  horse's  bit. 


95 


Mar.   14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.tOLOGV.  [1906. 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    TOMB    OF    SI-PTAH 
IN   THE    BIBAN    EL   MOLUK,    THEBES. 

Bv  Edward  N.  Ayrton. 

The  following  account  of  the  discovery  of  the  tonab  of  Si-ptah 
is  sent  in  fulfilment  of  my  promise  to  j\Ir.  Nash,  made  before  I  left 
for  Egypt  to  undertake  the  superintendence  of  IMr.  Davis'  work  in 
the  Royal  Valley  at  Thebes,  that  I  would  send  him  a  note  of  any 
fresh  discoveries  of  interest  we  might  make. 

The  position  of  the  tomb,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  sketch-map 
{Plate  I),  is  opposite  to  that  of  Tausert,  and  in  fact  completes  the 
family  group  of  Sety  II,  Tausert,  and  Bail.  There  were  at  first  no 
indications  of  the  existence  of  a  tomb  in  this  position,  the  ground 
being  quite  level  and  unbroken. 

The  plan  of  the  tomb  is  evidently  somewhat  similar  to  that  of 
Tausert's,  the  proportions  however  being  larger.  Two  flights  of 
steps,  with  the  usual  slope  between  them,  lead  down  to  the  first 
entrance,  from  which  three  long  corridors  lead  to  a  small  square 
chamber,  which  opens  into  a  large  square  hall,  the  roof  of  which  is 
supported  by  four  square  columns.  Through  the  centre  of  this  hall 
runs  a  sloping  passage  leading  into  two  more  corridors  at  a  much 
lower  level.  These  corridors  again  open  into  a  small  chamber 
which  may  possibly  lead  into  another  large  hall  which  should 
contain  the  remains  of  the  burial,  but  has  still  to  be  excavated. 
The  first  two  corridors,  above  referred  to,  are  well  inscribed,  and  we 
get  a  very  beautiful  portrait  of  the  king.  Unfortunately  the  tomb 
was  left  open  for  some  time  after  being  plundered,  and  the  water 
entering  has  destroyed  the  stucco  in  the  other  chambers,  and  thus 
absolutely  obliterated  all  trace  of  inscriptions  on  their  walls.  The 
root's  of  the  further  chambers  have  also  completely  fallen  in,  and  it 
will  be  some  time  before  we  can  get  to  the  end  of  the  tomb. 

Fragments  of  a  fine  alabaster  sarcophagus  and  one  or  two  good 
ushabtis  of  the  king  have  been  found;  and  numerous  hieratic 
ostraka  and  a  good  deal  of  pottery  lay  in  the  entrance  of  the  tomb ; 
all  these  objects  will  of  course  be  published  later.  The  photograph 
(Plate  II)  gives  a  view  of  the  entrance. 

96 


PLATE  I. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Air/i.,  March,  1906. 


PLATE  II. 


Pro(     Soi.  Biltl.  Arch.,  I\farch,  1906. 


Ch     r2 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 


THE    FOLKLORE    OF    MOSSOUL. 
I. 

By  R.  Campbell  Thompson,  B.A. 


{Continued froJH page  86.) 

The  following  is  the  text  of  the  first  of  the  two  manuscripts.  I 
am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  G.  MargoHouth,  M.A.,  for  many  kind 
suggestions. 

MS.    No.    I. 
****** 

an     :  tSee  Plate]  DPI 

nc'n   nr   nx   inT   ninnn   "pa   "py   "pic'dSi   ^n    "p^    oy   nin^^7  (2) 
bs^nn'?  nnry  nTry   cbTi    ix'n  'py  ini'Dri  ims   niriD  is  'px-nn 

:Dy  HD  ><'3  Nin  DL^n  nr  ifr  '"^^  jth 
n^^'-n  ^y  inix   ^innn   inio:'?   nvnn   dsi  n^'pvni   nti'yn  im  '73'?  (3) 
I'libSbx   I'sniix   jixnnx   p^^nx  L-'n  !i~i-'j   irxi  Din  n'-'py  m^pi 

D'y    :  rcnonp  >'c^'i^ 

nx'n  |m  isy'?  iT-n^L"  ny  mis  finci  fitSiib'n   fibp  'py  '3   n^ns"?  (4) 

3'y    :  "iinns'-i   l*'\x   in\s    ^n'L:'^:^'   npL"rD  nT\S3  is 
K"nn    ''2V   pj'pp   ^y    nins    n^-inc'    n?o    "ps^i  jnoi  scoa   nn'pvn'pw 
iDi"'   p'pp    rh    ps    -lE^'s    asm    n*3-n    nwS-t    "pvy    n'poj    'ps   "i*? 
"lino   -isy   npi    "inrj'o    Dipn    ^n?o    nsL^n    '?vy   mo   ny   'pk'ioi 
nis'pD   nxini   ni:nn   nna   hv  m'pni   y^opn    -jinn  i^mi   c'po^n 

:ny2 
97 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL^OLOGY.  [1906. 

nnix  inpi  nnv  nn  n^'^n  "ry  ain:  pn-j-n"?  ^i3>  n'?i  ms  iivy'?  (6) 
DiD^N    c^'^Dx    "p'^EXi    did"?    Dib'rx    n5'?x    •'b'^x    Dl*'2    L'"ri    pxn 
imx  x^vLin]  priw'^'j'  nvin  nxi  sns  n'p^nn  *d  D''  d^^o  d''*d^  ^12'^ 

2']:  ]"\iiri  p 

10X  nL"i  lOw'i  XjVJ'H  □'?^;  Vj^y^  n'C']l^  ^I'cnn  niyj*  np  b^II'll-'^T'  w> 
on  iin'j'  n*2i2Tn  mix  x'poi  D^np:  n"'3pj  ]'ipn  imx  aipj  inxi 
i'?x  2in3i  pixn  linn  nh'^n  nx  n-'^ni  mrc  "?::•  jnx  ne'yi 
nxini  D-D*  'J  nay  x'?*c'  inpa  imnpni  i::'xi  nnn  w'o  niocn 
K'-DK^nx  pK^-DDX  e^'-dSx  "sdx  Hi  n^-ini"  n?^  "p^  xii::'n  p 
nnron    b    npin    n-nn   l"x    Dnsn    d-d'pvt    i»3    p2'''?y    n-yni-x 

•  -  id'jX  '223  n-*?  hv  nn^n  x"? 

niy:^*   t:y»    np    ni^vc   n^n-'    ix    n'ra-i"    nvni    xjvj'   i'?  l*-    Db^  m 
nx'y    niyL"n   -iin"?    n-jni   nr   nin^i  ■j'p  'c^w'   n^ixn    man    ^:^•y1 
pn   "pxj   "^PV   L"h   'oin   'pxx"'   mi3p2  mivn  nnix  lupi  D''t:nD 

3'y  :  DiDX   jiD  '?x'rs  siQ 

pxn  i'?"j'm    an^j-n   layni   n'rnn   t^Tl;'   px  np  m-n*  n^^!t!^7  w 
niTi"'  nx]::'    nvn'?    n^nn    dxi    nxri:*    n-nn  po''  '?3i  d-dh  finn 
la"?-  -D  'X  Dipcn   nn-yiT  i-ixr-   x";!  cjv  "tw*   inicn  pxn  "i'?t:'n 

D'y  •  •  nxirn  anro  iX2p  nr  jxd'?  nr 

Dira   'oc'n   I'rx   s'r   v^y    ir^xni    nnap   'to   isy   npn   n^^iXL'^':' (lo) 
D"'3x'?»n  Dnx  'pxy'^oTDi  '?x-di  "rxnu  b'h  "rYn  btivb  fen-  "txcdx 
pn  n'pn:;  noopi  nnnroi   nnnni   nn-xi  nxjpi  nxr^'  I'p-sn  mno 
HTXi   nprni   r\bM^   nxr^*   nr  nx  nr   ixrii''':^  s32   pm   n-an  "pd 
D'y  •  •  ix3iw'  n^nn  i-'pcni  yiyb  ::'d:oi  a-'?D  nr'p 

-I1*L^"•C'   n'73^   ni^-'^cni    'x    px    np    nni^n    ini:!-:^'   hd    n^'^HT'di) 
nxini    "1X31C'    n'li    n;3"''7:;'ni    nii^c-n    I'^x    n*'?y    mn^i    nnix 
"Dn  [See  Plate]  •j''n  fiici  nnc::'  x*2xi  mix  cnirnn  mx'rs 

x't'J'  nnn   'iD   co   npi   "prxn   jnn:^'  :nn  lapo   icy  np   x'y<i2) 

nnn   n3-'?t:'ni   njiy   ini'Ti    D-on   Dy  isyn   ::'i'?i    nr  nx  nr  ixn 

d-Vb'''  x"?!  D2D  Jin-  13  nsyn  'pyn  nr  Jinri:'  dcd::'  iioxi  ixiVi^ 

2']}  'nDiDJrM  pn3  mjt' 
98 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

nT]''hv  xipni  nni^n  'tn  isy  np  mpo'?  dipdd  ']b''c>  )h^h:2h  i^'V  i^) 
*t3ip  nSTS'  i^'Dfi  N-ipntJ'  :^''Ti  t'jh  -\Zivri  irr'na  tidl"i  dio^m  i'?n 
nyi  '?"'jn^  nena    s[n    DTS^n   dd    riy'otD    nSp    non^aip   tbip 
?l?  inix  -iinpi   nnyo   nyL^a  L'nn  nn   riDTin  Vy  nins    b^^TC^Td*) 
hp  E^n  ijn  "pyoi  niro^::'  ny  NDin*  x*?!  "pnj  '•'pin  in  n^nn  i:j 
.*.  Dfi  nySD^  nyo'?  Npxn  D^n^n  pTD  np  TTip  rra  ps   inp  nr 
m»   ain^n   fixi    D'-tonro   Dninni  ^2E^•3  n^"?  np  n''ix'?  mnx  Tli^iis) 
E)Xi  :^'''Na*'t^'  D'-yin  mpon  pncn  nrn  n'pni  ihn  iin'?  □"I'-ni  n'pn 
'pxDin    '?N''?Dn    'pNv'nn    '^xnS'n    ::'?'•    n'psM    :;"'xn''    xmn    n^ixn 
•''pin    •''pifi    '•'pin   xfDin   Nfoin    xfiDin   'px   'pnx"-   '?xi'?n   'pxSDn 

it53x  S2D  ■'SJit;'  "py  ion  N5n  xnn 
con   piniDni   c-in   Din  "py   niDninn   i'?x   ains   X3i::'n   n'^^n^dc) 
n2C'2    •'yana    in    nxo   "ri:'    nh'hi    s:ic'n    rr^nn    omx    pnrni 

on  /,  [See  Plate]  t>'T1     T     hyC'2 

^n    fiD3   nyo    d-'C'i   inxivo   npi   '71'pn   nn  D^*y   np  in'^ron'?  i^'J^in) 
ay  ••n'32  mix  inpi  Tjn  o^-y  iinn  'r^n  a^n 

nsyn  p  jni  "pi^n  pi::*n  Dvy  np  jnt:'  iJ?o»  ^iid-i  n'pn^L"  hd  '^'y'm 
-\r\:2    mix    nnpi    ninn    mix    ninoi    •■n    fion    ny    vbv   rnt^'^^^' 
D'u  :  nix'pD  nxin  ctDn  vhv  nnyrni  D'-nn  nnn 

pinoi    niocn    I'px    v'py   mn^i    nnx   nt;'in3   "r::'   D'j    ni'-y    t>5'iNi9; 
'•5''   ''3a   ]fWc  ci3  iS'p  iTX  Tx  L"on  in^a  nns  'ry  iidl-i  d''D2 

^  11 — o  

Dy  .•.  |bx  irny''  jox-j  x  on  |n^'X  .'■.nx 
px  ^y  Drn?3  n^ti'^'pt;'  ni;:;'n  jvl^'xt  nrn  nin^''  xjvl"  "['•n^^riT  (20) 
■pxcj  ninnn  x-x  i'?x  ny  pxn  siix*'-  ihxi  nioc'n  i'?x  tid 
"rxnix  "pjoofii  'rJODX  'pxno  "rxnn^  "pxPnx  b^''V^'^^^  ha^'inb 
ino'?  'D'n'2  n''ixn  nx  naxnc  i"?  "pyorD  onoiy  □•'sx*  'px''dx' 
3'y  'n  V2  xini  ;t^"'  -apn  nioL**n  i'?x  "imp  ix  rn  c'n  hh:^' 
)bii  vhv  -iiaxi  n^'poc'n  -i'73-i  ninno  xiay  no  o'n  .  n?2n7(07' (21) 
XX  nn  nan'po  ait"  nicy'?  D^'713''  x'71  Dn'''?i7  pnn  moL"n 
nxvi  IV  "pxTiinni  "perPx  x"d  'rrfux  'pxr  x'^i^  otrn  laxn 
iX'priL^'  D3ni3T2  rp  'px'-fipt^'O  'px'^V'  ""Tn  "rr"^  'rx^nfix  'px^lnx 
Dn  3y  10X  Dyr  -iny  ny  yvyo  'd'3'd  niD''":!  "pc'  xaip  •'Jxo  "pd 

99 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

i^N    ain:i    n'piD    n^p    h'c    naiy    np    iTan"?   ms   pn    n^^:il?7<22) 
'?s'?2  "psv^pD  ^'DSpi  "I'lTv  fiyv  L*"n  Vidx"?  a'?^'?  |m    n>'?y   ninr'n 

•pS'SD     "^SnO     'ptOTN     DE^n     D3D     NyiJ"'     D3"D     '?XVlD     n'pi     ^NmSO 

nn^j^n  ci'pl'*  r^n^  x'?!  nn^n  nnnm  nxapi  nxx**  i:nn:i'  id 
•  •  iD":x  c'py'pi  pn  xdv  jo  na-'Xi  nxrj'i  nx^p  x'px  nanx  x"?! 
-ii£va  -iTJ'pi  nisv  ona  nio'j'n  I'px  nin^  n:i  y:i  a^ixn  nvnS  (23) 
CXI  n:i  yj  n-n"  -ii2^*n  -['?.-!  dx  mL"n  ^^3  "^y  nmx  msi  )b:-\2 
rs  fsn  nS  rn  ryn  tTi  yn  yrn  yr  D5rn  L-n  3""ixn  niD"'  irn 
Dn-.dijx  p  p  p  '3  ':  pn  pj  nci'a  nyr  nmxn  '?ix*j''?  nin"'  sas 
yop    ni:^^   pirn    oipfoo    ix-'^n'?    ix    -inion    rr-nrD    anx    x*vin^(24) 

lynr  hv  in^nM  qix  inix  dl"  bv  '•av  ?i'?p  ^y  inix  ains^i 
'D'"i   nit3   inv    pr    ■•n   vn*'   dxi    n-'^'n  'j  hv   ^in^-   nnn'?   x'y(25) 
xvn   a'i'an   'r2X''i  ;^jnx  pV''pb>  p'::'p-j'n  i'?x  nnTi  'i  nv^a  "ps  bv 

yi!  "  nmoxn  n-ao 
inn    cn-j'i    i^d    ^ryn    ;n    x"i'?n'?i    i"'L"yn'?   '?''yr  xin    xok'    pin  (26) 

O — O      O — O        ij—0        O — IJ       (   o — o        _.  

XV    XX?    2XD    'xy   ^Dn  nip   ynq  7V  2]r.  xy/.  '•m.  270  xdt  i;x 

2'y  :  noiiai  pnn  xim  xx? 
13X    xsv   ^vx    r5"D    x;d    d:x    Dw'n    on?    ns    by    mriD''    C'nn7(27) 

■  ■  riya  xvm  nnnn  '?2X''i 
nyK>  npn  ninnn'?  nvni  firj'3  n>  "py  n*L;'\SD  n-nDn3:r  nL"x'?(28) 
inni  "inoiD  DyjDi  n^"?:-!  nnno  isyi  n  mL"ip*j'  mm  n'j*xn 
::'xn'L:'  cipna  n:2r\  nx  n'pni  t'jh  ninn  imx  ivj'pi  nnn  onix 
plSox  I'DiDx  fDiTx  -loxm  L'-xn  bv  inD^n  |m  rnnn  n*n> 
xni^x  xhi'px  '?jy'?x  '?iy'?x  'piy'px  222  n'?ji  i:y  Dih:x  pcDX 
•  •  p^o  '<b2  xnn  inxi  xyo'px  xyD"?x  xyo'px  xhi'px 
"^^'^2  jni  nay"?  ^^-l>L"  ny  imx  siiil'-i  n'ciVj'n  fi'pp  "py  5  nanx'?(29) 

2'y  ■  •  "innxM  L'^x  imx  nnt^^^'  npt^'O  nT\S3  ix 
ninsni  n^^n  n^cn  i^vrnni  cnn  mn  ••'7:!  np  imn^D  xjil"  ^^^pv^m 
nDnE>  y;ii  imir  Dtra  idi  nvix  "pn  nsn-L:'  n'poi  nnsu  v'py 
en  :  x:)VJ*n  n  prj'  X"x  jT'an  -inpni  5x  nTn: 
lap  '»  "icyi  nvpi  npii  D'hi'\n  f  np  d^eox  'a  pn  niL*'nQ(3i) 
r]i^2  nvp  1D2  rn  Dnipoa  Dnix  p'i'\i'\  vbv  xipi  D^^-^a  n2"''?pi 
p2    n^r'n    'pnanr-    1021    "Ens'?    222    pa    noDpi    npi'pno    nam 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

CNi  "ry  mnDi  Doisa  nnis  yavi  ir^L**'?  T'''JJd  n-in*  nc'y  njic''? 
yvDX  hv^  in'in  '?XDC'  "pyi  C'Td  pa'-  t-  '?yi  pioc  mivn 
p3  niriDi  aiii'pii  ^xd:^  ^j-i  ^yi  ixV'-'ii  pD>  ^3-1  byi  inhn  fiun 
&■  trx-in  '?y  nin3  inxn  n:»*oi  Tiac'  nnxD  2-ipy  ^xod  D^'pj-in 
3  pn^  hi-^  bv^  °t^p  ?ii3n  y^-oxai  h  "tx^L"  n>  "pyi  I  po^  n^  "pyi 
n^'py  DinT::'  "ly  'pxdej'  n^n  ]*"ixn  omx  poni  V  'pxo'l:'  '^ji  '?yi 
px  nnn  "ix  nsx'pro  "pt:^  ^'^^  nnn  nnix  inn  ifixi  n'^ixn 
bv  IX  c">t:Dn  'py  pjoc^  Dt^'n  anix  pnDn:r  nya  nioxi  Dm^n 
x'?  JSii  "p^n   nn  nn^  it'  n^n^   x'?i   ik'X")  "py  ans   nir  p  \2iin 

3'y  :  n'p^pn  x"?!  Qvi 

ino^:;'i   nan   idd   Vtrpa'^r   nn   ^d2    in-'ipi    -nn-j'  '?i:i3"in  np  x'''y(33) 

c\sn   DS'n   inix   xipi   ^i2x'?   i"?   ini    na'?    xin   D"''?'i::-inn  'pi'pa 

D''Di:;"t  D-'D^  'to  nc^yn  p  ana   nnx  ^idx  i*?  iDxm  r'pno  ^nx:^♦ 

aaa  ^mu  ^3X  -i»xni  0::*  mtonc^i  nn^n  "px  in2'''?'in  n^c'yn  nvai 

npi   aia   niD^  p  noi   "pijnnn  nr  tont;'^^^   oa^a   ana   mro'  pc 

imnpni   anna   nnxi   Tiixa  nnx  Mbi    anix  mnni  D'-ona  •'^c 

:  n'yn  inrj*  a-iixn  d"''?c>''  x*?-!  ~in:n   na::'  bv 

's   in::'  '?y   njp   iina   omx   jni  I'pc'   c'?:-)   "-d  np  i::'"''?nn'?  x'y(34) 

DipD2   n^pn   7'?::'ni    njpn  "la   Dinoi   '•n  fjoa    nainn   cc'i  'a  'n 

"3  xa-in>  x'pi   TO    n'?n''i   'pit^'pL^'  i"?  xnn   Q^a'pini    Dn-133  dvdhc' 

3'y :  nDiJQi  pna  xim  nax'^^^Vt:'  nr  dx 

xn^ani  xddx  "px  nxn  n^'py   ainai   xav  na  r\T2  np  ni<52'tt?7  (35) 

D^3iDD  Dn-Li'   n'?an   "'ax'pD   yxo   :;"JDri   nnn   '73  hxjo   n  i3p  --a 

x'?i   nnix   nxi'-   ab':^   ana  ^y  aaa   3'''?    laann::'   D:n3   ny:;'  bi} 

nnix  xjii'^i  'px'^ti'i  'pxnTb   '?xoar>  '?xoan    n   uW2  noy  nn^n"" 

'?x''=B5a    "px^lx    'px-'DD    D^3    -i3Dyi    "pinni    -trim    |i3t3x    nxjt:'3 

•  •  1D"JX 

n3n::n  -|in3  nnn   D^iri   x:iti'n   pnL:'^-L:'   DipD  nxn  x:it:'  ry^DTlh^^^^ 
ixnnti'  p^nx  nW2   BSi    noni   ?ix    D3n"j'i'?'j'    rxo   noxm   i*?::* 
3'y :  xaiB'n  nio"-  d'^d*  n  -iin3i  a3a  nx  i:-inni 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

iTDtix  mriL"'?   |n^i   '"12  ix  D^on   dhj^-i  ppns  ':2  nr  '3^  nanx'pOT) 

IDPS    "IS^X    nXDIX    11DTNQ3    1TD0K 

*  pMi  Nim  iTj  nj'in  poiS-'n  p^TD'-xn  nJTn  d55s  dO'5n  y-\m 
^joDvp  rDiri   tdTd  td7o   bx^^ni   "px^sx   Dtri  d>d2  pinoi  'd  t<'y(39) 
"py   222  ■?:;'  n^n''  '?idi  n>L*'D3i  n''nn  iTjpn  "px^n  'pNnnn  "psinsi 

222  nans 
pnm   pnnn  -i^'sa   p^^nni   noK   d-j*i   noL*'   n^:r  njn   "py  '3  s'y(w) 

•  •  D'j?  'f'»nnii 
[See  Plate]    xiM^p  "p^  "ij^j  ^2  pinsi  Dj:  "pxtt  psjpj  ''2  3nDN*  nans'?  («) 

31?  232  3"''?3  252  n3nx  i3nn 
i:n'   ahiy  B'^sn  inixi   nan   D*j'a   3  i"?  i3n^  s'pi  n:;'s  nvix'  ''»(42) 

[See  Plate]  niomnn  I'ps  ::'xa  ein'j'm  i"? 

d:;''?    n-'T    '•'py  ':  ^y   niomn   'jn  I'ps   '3   in'C'nh  t^•^x  pa  nanN^(43) 

[See  Plate]  '«  Qv  "pa  pjinij'^"!  232  Hans  ^y  sa2 

nintj''?  jni  a^rsa  pinoi  "iy*i:*  oipoa  •'a^'  2S"5  "^y  n^r  ona  '3  N'y(44) 
HEJ'yn   nn  vfp:   a^bp   "^nx^    ihx    "'p''    •''jx   ''p'   ^bv^  '•orfp  'e^'Oti 
hi:J2   'ypt   mo  n2D3    ^nxvD   3'y   pnai    nDi:^    nh   yaa  onix 

. .  3'y  nn 
niDninn  i'?x  -av  f\hp  hv  '3"    anxn    hv    nomn    !?"'2n'?i   pinu''?(45) 

3'y     [See  Plate]     -|5J  nNvT  K'Ti  jn'piE^n  ^y  D'-K'^i 
'XT    cninva   'XT    npiaa  'x  onix   ^3xn    Dn'-pt:'  ':   hv  '3   nmp'?(46) 
(ends)     ^yi  L'np"'a  '3^  'xn  '?y    fyi'-K'  ny^^'a 

Translation. 


No.  I.  Aiwther. — Write  these  names  and  seals  on  the  pahns  ot 
thy  hands  and  touch  whomsoever  thou  wilt ;  and  these  are  they  (see 
Plate  I,  fig.  i). 

No.  2.  For  love  tvith  all  living,  and  to  have pozver  over  all  spirits. — 
Call  on  this  name  Ruhiel,  or  write  it  and  keep  it  on  thy  flesh  ;  and 
this  is  what  thou  shalt  say :  "  Azor  Azariah  Lahabiel  Hazan  YYY 
Yeho."     This  name  is  twenty-one  (and)  twenty-four  (in  value) 


PLATE  I. 


Proc.  So,:  BihI.   Arch.,  March,  1906. 


Fig.  I. 


Fig.  2. 


j^^^mvi 


O r^    C> 

O 


Fig.  3- 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906, 

No.  3.  For  everything  tliat  thou  dost,  that  thou  i/iayst  prosper 
(therein). — And  if  thou  wishest  to  test  it,  thou  shalt  write  it  upon  an 
egg  and  bind  a  thread  upon  it,  and  it  shall  not  be  burnt.  And  this 
is  what  thou  shalt  write :  "  Abirirun  Abriun  Abrian  Abirmun  unse 
Kadmaiah." 

No.  4.  For  love. — Write  on  parchment  Hasivatos,  and  burn  it 
until  it  becometh  ashes,  and  put  them  in  beer  or  whatever  drink 
that  man  drinketh,  and  they  {sic)  shall  love  thee. 

No.  5.  To  prosper  in  Intsiness^  and  evety thing  that  thoti  wishest. — 
Write  on  gazelle  parchment,  and  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "  Go 
to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard,  consider  her  ways,  and  be  wise  :  which  hath 
no  chief  overseer,  or  ruler;  how  long  wilt  thou  sleep,  O  sluggard? 
when  wilt  thou  arise  out  of  thy  sleep  ?  "  and  take  dust  from  an  ant's 
hole  and  put  it  in  the  middle  of  the  charm  and  hang  it  on  the  door 
of  the  workshop  and  thou  shalt  see  marvels  by  God's  help. 

No.  6,  To  bind  a  man  so  that  he  is  afflicted  with  strangury. — 
Write  on  an  egg  which  is  a  day  old,  and  bury  it  in  the  earth.  And 
this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "In  the  name  of  Almi  Almi  Almos 
Lmos  and  Apil  Asayim  Almos  Litayim  Itayim  Tayim  Ayim  Pi,  the 
member  of  N.,  son  of  N."  And  if  thou  wishest  that  the  strangury 
should  cease,  take  it  out  of  the  earth. 

No.  7.  For  an  enemy. — Take  new  wax  and  make  of  it  a  figure  of 
the  enemy,  and  his  name  and  the  name  of  his  mother,  and  then 
pierce  it  with  a  thorn  in  many  holes  and  fill  it  with  fine  black  glass, 
and  make  a  box  of  wax  and  put  the  figure  in  the  box  and  write  these 
names  and  put  (them)  under  its  head ;  and  thou  shalt  bury  it  in  a 
grave  three  days  old,i  and  thou  shalt  see  with  regard  to  the  enemy 
all  that  thou  wouldst.  And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write :  "  Apapi 
Akpis  Akpisin  Athsamis,  I  adjure  you  that  just  as  fire  continually 
devoureth  the  figures  of  N.,  son  of  N.,  on  the  altar,  (so)  it  shall  not 
be  quenched  in  the  heart  of  N.,  son  of  N." 

No.  8.  If  thou  hast  an  enemy  and  thou  wishest  that  he  should 
brought  to  an  end  or  become  mad.,  take  a  little  wax  and  make  the 
likeness  of  the  enemy  which  thou  hast,  and  write  this,  and  put  in  the 
middle  of  the  wax  ten  needles  and  bury  this  image  in  a  grave  of 
Israel  .  .  .,  and  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write:  " 'Akel  Gal  Beren 
N.,  the  son  of  N.,  Pelal  Marag  Aphras." 

^  The  text  here  Is  difficult,  and  might  be  read  D"'^''  '3  13]/ 
103 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL^^OLOGV.  [1906. 

No.  9.  For  extreme  hate. — Take  a  stone  which  a  dog  hath  bitten, 
and  make  it  pass  between  them,  and  cast  the  stone  into  water;  and 
every  day  shall  there  be  hatred.  And  if  thou  wishest  that  there 
should  be  extreme  hatred,  cast  the  stone  into  a  dovecote,  and  they 
shall  not  be  left  together  in  one  place,  for  one  shall  go  one  way  and 
the  other  another  for  the  greatness  of  the  hate. 

No.  10.  For  hate. — Thou  shalt  take  dust  from  seven  graves,  and 
say  over  it  seven  times  these  names:  "In  the  name  of  Asniael, 
Yahmael,  L'ael,  Tesel,  Lil,  Nuriel,  Usiel,  Usenaniel — Ye  angels, 
speedily  shall  ye  bring  down  hatred  and  envy  and  enmity  and  con- 
tention and  strife  and  great  hostility  between  all  the  household  and 
N.,  son  of  N.,  that  they  may  hate  each  other  with  a  great  and  strong 
hatred  and  bitter  enmity  of  heart  and  soul  henceforth  and  for  ever." 
And  thou  shalt  cast  it  into  the  house  of  thine  enemy. 

No.  II.  To  kill,  so  that  the  devils  shall  smite  him. — Td%e  a  stone 
and  throw  it  to  a  dog  which  shall  bite  it,  and  on  it  write  these  names 
and  throw  it  into  the  house  of  thine  enemy,  and  thou  shalt  see 
wonders  when  they  smite  him,  and  it  may  be  that  he  will  be  afraid 
and  die.     And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write :  {see  Plate  I,  fig.  2). 

No.  12.  Another. — Take  dust  from  the  grave  of  a  murdered  man 
who  hath  been  slain  with  iron,  and  take  water  from  three  wells  which 
cannot  see  each  other,  and  knead  the  dust  with  the  water  and  make 
it  into  a  cake  and  throw  it  into  the  house  of  thine  enemy,  and  say : 
"As  this  lord  of  the  dust  was  slain,  so  may  be  slain  N.,  the  son  of  N., 
and  he  shall  not  complete  his  year."     (Proved  and  certain.) 

No.  13.  Another:  to  drive  him  forth  so  that  he  shall  go  from  place 
to  place. — Take  dust  from  seven  ovens  and  read  over  it  these  names, 
and  pour  the  aforesaid  dust  into  his  house ;  and  this  is  what  thou 
shalt  read  :  "Taphtir  Siztah  Koti  Kot  Kophtitah  Kab  Teni'ah  Sat 
Hatot  Wiph  Titah."     And  it  shall  l)e  successful  by  the  help  of  God. 

No.  14.  For  a 71  efiemy. — Write  on  a  piece  of  new  cloth  at  even- 
time  and  bury  it  on  his  roof  and  there  shall  come  on  him  great 
sickness  and  he  shall  not  be  healed,  till  he  die  or  the  roof  fall  in. 
And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "  Kal  Yabhah  Katho  Pedin  Bidad 
Karbad  Kah  Perek  Bihnam  Haka  Lsa'ah  Lsa'ah." 

No.  15.  Another  for  a  foe. — Take  the  heart  of  a  lamb  and  put 
needles  (in  it),  and  also  shalt  thou  write  in  the  heart's  blood  and  put 

104 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

it  on  the  hole  of  the  heart,  and  this  heart  thou  shalt  hide  in  a  place 
of  evil,  that  it  may  rot,  and  that  enemy  may  also  rot  and  come  to  an 
end.  And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "  Hasdiel  Hahkiel  Hamiel 
Harsel  Hamamel  Haluel  Israel  El  Birketha  Birketha  Birketha  Sick- 
ness, Sickness,  Sickness,  thou  shalt  come,  thou  shalt  come,  thou 
shalt  come  upon  mine  enemy,  N.,  son  of  N." 

No.  16.  To  kill  the  enemy. — Write  these  seals  on  a  new  potsherd 
and  wash  (them)  off  in  water,  and  sprinkle  it  in  the  house  of  the 
enemy  on  the  second  night  of  the  week  or  the  fourth  of  the  week 
at  the  seventh  hour.  And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  {see  Plate  I, 
fig-  3). 

No.  17.  Another  to  kill  him. — Take  a  hollow  bone  of  a  dead 
man  and  take  of  (thine  enemy's)  excrement  and  put  a  little  "  living  " 
silver,  an(lput  the  whole  into  the  bone  aforementioned,  and  bury  it 


m 


in  the  enSny's  house. 

No.  18.  Another,  that  he  should  fall  sick  and  be  incontinent. — 
Take  a  hollow  thigh-bone  and  put  some  of  the  dust  whereon  he  hath 
made  water  with  "  living  "  silver,  and  seal  it  up  carefully,  and  bury  it 
in  the  river  underneath  the  water,  and  as  the  water  passeth  over  it 
thou  shalt  see  wonders. 

No.  19.  Another. — Make  a  plate  of  red  copper  and  write  on  it 
these  names,  and  wash  (them)  off  in  water  and  pour  it  out  at  the 
door  of  his  house.  And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "Ir  Izir  Kit 
Tat  Sathan  Minni  Y'me  Ebel  Astan  Bat  A'  Nitan  Ya'anihu  Amen." 

No.  20.  To  destroy  an  enemy. — Write  on  the  first  day  at  the  third 
hour  of  the  day  upon  a  bit  of  limestone,  these  names ;  and  then  let 
him  burn  the  stone  with  these  that  thou  shalt  write  :  "  Nemael 
Lahabiel  Zeru'iel  Ahabiel  Yahariel  Mariel  Amiel  Wahabiel  Uriel 
Seraphiel,  Seraphs  that  stand  above  him,  that  ye  may  destroy  the 
enemy,  N.,  son  of  N.,  to  Maher-salal-has-baz."  Or  bury  these  names 
in  an  old  grave  (and  this  is  proved  and  certain). 

No.  21.  For  war. —  . . .  Take  dust  from  under  thy  left  foot  and  say 
over  it  these  names  and  scatter  it  against  them  (the  enemy)  and  they 
shall  no  more  be  able  to  make  war;  and  this  is  what  thou  shalt  say  : 
"In  the  name  of  Loki  Yoel  Antsel.  (Another  book)  Antsel  and 
Mehothiel  Yoy  Hia  Abniel  Ahamnel  Yiol  Wahi  Yokiel  Miskathiel 
Yah — by  your  purity  that  ye  may  bind  all  kinds  of  fighting  for 

105  K 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-EOLOGV.  [1906. 

brigandage  against  N.,  son  of  N.,  henceforth  and  for  ever,  until  the 
wrath  pass.     Amen,  so  may  the  will  be." 

No.  22.  For  hatred  between  a  man  aiid  his  friend. — Take  a  cake 
of  fine  flour,  and  write  these  names  upon  it,  and  give  it  to  a  dog  to 
eat;  and  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "S'aph  Skas  and  Kaphiel 
Pekise  Pelal  Memuhel  Welo  Soel ;  N.,  son  of  N.,  shall  hate  N.,  son 
of  N.,  in  the  name  of  Ibiel  Meriel  Sephiel  So,  that  ye  may  put  hate  and 
envy  and  strife  between  them  and  there  shall  not  be  peace  between 
them  nor  love,  but  envy  and  hatred  and  enmity  from  this  day  for 
evermore." 

No.  23.  That  an  enemy  may  be  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer. — Write 
these  words  in  a  bird's  blood  and  bind  (it)  on  the  bird's  foot  and  let 
it  fly  in  the  open  fields.  If  the  bird  goes  away,  he  shall  be  a  fugitive 
and  a  wanderer,  and  if  it  come  back,  the  enemy  shall  die.  And 
this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "Za'  Tiza'  Zia'  Haz  Ta'z  Hiz  Puz  Taphaz 
Piz ;  N.,  son  of  N.,  shall  go  down  into  Sheol  at  this  hour,  by  the 
name  of  Gak  Dik  GG  KKK." 

No.  24.  To  bring  a  man  out  of  prison,  or  to  bring  him  in  from  a 
distant  place. — Let  him  make  a  charm  and  write  it  on  gazelle  parch- 
ment in  the  name  of  that  man  and  let  him  put  it  on  his  arm. 

No.  25.  Another  for  a  prisoner. — Let  him  write  on  three  eggs 
(and  if  they  are  two  days  old,  better  still),  and  write  on  each  egg 
these  three  words  :  "Wisksain  Siksain  Argin,"  and  let  him  eat  the 
eggs  and  he  shall  go  forth  from  the  prison. 

No.  26.  This  is  ivhat  shall  effect  a  man's  growing  rich  a?id  being 
high  in  favour  before  king  and  princes. — And  this  is  it :  "  Ayan  Repha 
Selab  Debi  Ye'a  Ye'ab  Yezal  Ketha'  Mewab  Tesai  'Ai  Keab  Yea 
Yewa  Keaa."     .'\nd  it  is  proved  and  certain. 

No.  27.  For  a  prisoner. — Let  him  write  on  a  piece  of  bread  in 
the  name  of  Agas  Sega  Segi  Asaph  Sepha  Sephu  and  let  the  prisoner 
eat  it  and  he  shall  go  forth  by  God's  help. 

No.  28.  For  a  zvoman  that  hath  been  separated  frotn  her  husband 
through  enchantment,  and  wisheth  to  join  him. — I'hou  shalt  take  a 
hair  of  tlie  woman,  and  a  thread  which  she  hath  hcjund  on  him,-  and 

2  Or  "it." 
106 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

dust  from  beneath  her  feet,  and  a  httle  coriander-seed,  and  thou  shalt 
put  them  in  a  (piece  of)  cloth  and  bind  it  with  the  aforementioned 
thread  and  hang  the  cloth  in  a  place  under  which  the  man  is,  and 
put  the  coriander-seed  upon  the  man  and  thou  shalt  say:  -'Anusin 
Anusin  Atetin  Atetin,  do  ye  subdue  and  bring  N.,  the  son  of  N., 
swiftly,  swiftly,  swiftly,  with  speed,  with  speed,  with  speed,  at  once, 
at  once,  at  once  j"  and  then  shall  she  come  without  a  doubt. 

No.  29.  For  love. — Write  on  parchment  Haswatos,  and  burn  it 
until  it  becometh  ashes,  and  put  it  in  beer  or  whatever  drink  that 
man  drinketh  and  they  {sic)  will  love  thee. 

No.  30.  To  iipi-oot  an  enemy  from  his  dwelling. — Take  a  vessel  of 
new  pot  and  wash  it  in  running  water,  and  thou  shalt  write  on  it : 
(the  verse  beginning)  "  Brimstone  and  salt  (and)  burning  all  its  land  " 
and  all  (the  rest)  of  it,'^  "in  the  name  Segehu  Werega'  Seheseth 
Geherah  Ab,"  and  thou  shalt  burn  it  in  the  house  wherein  the 
enemy  dwelleth. 

No.  31.  Separation  betiveen  two  men.  — Take  seven  mustard-(seeds) 
and  spices  and  nigella  and  dust  from  forty  graves  and  eggshells 
and  read  over  them  and  scatter  them  in  their  place.  And  this  is  what 
thou  shall  say  :  "  Like  the  nigella  in  the  fields,  so  shall  contention 
and  dispute  increase  between  N.,  son  of  N.,  and  N.,  son  of  N. ; 
and  as  the  Lord  (blessed  be  he)  divided  between  the  heaven  and 
earth,  so  may  He  divide  between  them  ;  and  as  He  divided  between 
sea  and  land,  so  may  He  divide  between  them  ;  and  as  He  divided 
between  man  and  devils,  so  may  He  divide  between  them ;  and  the 
one  shall  not  come  back  to  the  other  for  ever  and  ever." 

No.  32.  For  an  enemy. — Make  a  figure  on  parchment  in  his 
name  and  dye  it  in  saffron,  and  write  upon  the  head  of  the  figure 
Samardin,  and  upon  the  right  hand  Pagas,  and  upon  the  left  Tibtaz, 
and  on  the  middle  of  the  body  Tilhab,  and  upon  the  right  foot 
Bilao,  and  upon  the  left  foot  Belobab,  and  write  between  the  feet 
Sammael,  Scorpio,  Mars,  Saturn  ;  and  on  the  other  side  write  on  the 
head  P,  and  on  the  right  hand  G,  and  upon  the  left  hand  L,  and 
on  the  middle  of  the  body  KT.  and  on  the  right  foot  K,  and  on  the 
left  foot  W,  and  conceal  it  in  the  earth  with  the  left  hand  until  the 
enemy  treadeth  on  it ;  and  then  thou  shalt  put  it  under  a  work(man's) 

"*  Deut.  xxix,  23. 

107  K  2 


Mar.   14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

hammer  or  under  a  fuller's  stone,  and  say  at  the  time  that  thou 
buriest  it :  "  in  the  name  of  Samnin  "  over  the  hammer  or  over  the 
stone;  "so  shall  N.,  the  son  of  N.,  be  smitten  on  his  head  and  he 
shall  have  no  peaceful  rest  in  all  his  body,  neither  by  day  nor  night." 

No.  ^;^.  Another. — Take  a  black  cock  and  buy  it  at  whatever 
price  they  shall  ask  from  thee,  and  put  it  in  the  fowl-run  by  itself,  and 
feed  it  and  call  it  by  the  name  of  the  man  thou  seekest,  and  thou 
shalt  say  to  it :  "  Eat  thou  N.,  son  of  N. ; "  thus  shalt  thou  do  for  nine 
consecutive  days,  and  on  the  tenth  bring  it  to  the  river  and  kill  it 
there,  and  thou  shalt  say  :  "I  am  killing  N.,  the  son  of  N.,  that  N., 
the  son  of  N.,  may  die  thus,  in  the  name  whereby  this  cock  is  killed, 
and  N.,  son  of  N.,  may  surely  die."  Then  take  two  needles  and  put 
them  in  its  heart,  one  lengthwise  and  the  other  breadthwise,  and 
thou  shalt  bury  it  on  the  brink  of  the  river,  and  the  enemy  shall 
not  complete  his  year,  by  God's  help. 

No.  34.  Another,  to  make  him  feeble. — Take  of  his  urine  and  put 
it  in  a  reed  in  his  name,  N,,  son  of  N.,  and  put  therein  "living" 
silver,  and  close  up  the  mouth  of  the  reed,  and  cast  the  reed  into  a 
place  where  water  is  continually  running,  and  diarrhoea  shall  come 
upon  him,  and  he  shall  immediately  fall  sick  and  shall  not  recover 
until  he  taketh  it  out.     And  this  is  proved  and  certain. 

No.  35.  For  hatred. — Take  an  egg  one  day  old  and  write  upon  it 
this  name,  and  bury  it  in  the  grave  of  a  man  slain  by  iron.  And 
this  is  what  thou  shalt  write :  "  I  adjure  you.  Angels  of  destruction 
which  are  set  over  the  gates  of  Jehannum,  that  ye  turn  the  heart  of 
N.,  son  of  N.,  against  N.,  daughter  of  N.,  that  he  shall  not  look  at 
her,  nor  be  joined  to  her,  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  Haphkiel  Saphkiel 
Suriel  and  Seraphiel,  and  he  shall  hate  her  as  with  the  hatred  of 
Amnon  and  Tamar,  and  cat  and  mouse,  in  the  name  of  Samiel 
Aphiel  Tamtiel." 

No.  36.  To  kill  an  enemy. — Watch  the  place  where  the  enemy 
passeth  water  and  put  a  needle  in  the  middle  of  his  urine,  and  thou 
shalt  say:  "I  adjure  you  three,  Aph,  and  Himah,  and  Sam,  in  the 
name  of  Argaman,  that  ye  come  and  slay  N.,  son  of  N.,"  and  within 
four  days  the  enemy  will  die. 

No.  37.  For  love. — Write  this  on  three  tablets  and  wash  them  in 
water  or  wine  and  give  it  to  drink :  "  Atmaru  Atmaru  Kmarmadu 
Armadu  Akiphu  Akiphu." 

108 


PLATE  11. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bihl.  .hr/i.,  J/ai c/i,  1906. 


Fig.   I. 


Fig.  2. 


(IXM!  ^JC£M -^^=idzZ2lS 


Figf-  3- 


L 


Fig.  4. 


Mar.  14]  THE  FOLKLORE  OF  MOSSOUL.  [1906. 

No.  38.  Another. — "Write  these  names  on  seven  .  .  .  and  give 
them  to  eat  to  whomever  thou  wishest,  and  he  shall  come  after  thee : 
"Akmas  Akmas  Honah  Haitunin  Bisumin  Honah  Gedu."  And  it 
is  proved. 

No.  39.  Atiofher. — Write  and  wash  off  in  water  :  "  in  the  name  of 
Aphiel  and  Haniel  Maspaz  Maspaz ;  in  the  name  of  Kasmiel  Pni'ael 
Hithriel  Haniel.  Ye  shall  bind  the  spirit  and  soul  and  all  the  being 
of  N.,  the  son  of  N.,  for  love  of  N.,  daughter  of  N." 

No.  40.  Another. — Write  on  a  garment  of  hers,  her  name  and 
the  name  of  her  mother,  and  burn  in  fire:  "  Beruhin  Beruhin 
Beruhin." 

No.  41.  For  love. — Write  on  z-jakjak  .  .  ,  and  burn  it  in  a  great 
fire  :  {see  Plate  II,  fig.  i)  "Ye  shall  put  love  for  N.,  son  of  N.,  into 
the  heart  of  N.,  daughter  of  N." 

No.  42.  JVhoe7'er  wisheth  for  a  zvofnan  and  he  {her  father)  ivill 
not  give  her  to  him. — Write  in  the  name  of  the  daughter  and  that 
man  who  will  not  give  her  to  him,  and  thou  shalt  burn  it  in  fire. 
These  are  the  seals  {see  Plate  II,  fig.  2). 

No.  43.  For  love  between  a  man  and  his  wife. — Write  these  three 
seals  on  three  olive  leaves  in  the  name  of  N.,  the  son  of  N.,  for  love 
of  N.,  daughter  of  N.,  and  he  shall  burn  one  each  day  {see  Plate  II, 
fig-  3)- 

No.  44.  Another. — Write  in  dove's  blood  on  gazelle  parchment 
on  a  hairy  place,  and  wash  it  off  in  water  and  give  it  (to  him)  to 
drink.  And  this  is  what  thou  shalt  write  :  "  Kursi  Pa'ali  Y'ki  Ani 
Y'ki  Atho  Yathni  Kalpha  Nakdo;"  and  this  shalt  thou  do  with 
great  attention.     Proved  and  certain. 

(I  found  this  in  the  book  of  my  worthy  ancestor,  Migdal  David.) 

No.  45.  To  crush  and  bi'ing  on  deep  sleep  on  a  man. — Write  on 
gazelle  parchment  these  seals,  and  he  shall  put  it  on  the  table.  And 
this  is  what  thou  shalt  write :  "  Wath  Nepher  "  {see  Plate  II,  fig.  4). 

No.  46.  For  fever. — Write  on  three  almonds  and  let  him  eat 
them,  one  in  the  morning  and  one  at  noon  and  one  at  the  hour  he 
shivers.     On  the  first  write  Bikdas  :  and  on  ******* 


109 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 


TWO   KABBALISTIC   PLANETARY  CHARMS. 

By    E.    J.    PiLCHER. 

Kabbalistic  astrology  conceived  the  Universe  as  consisting  of 
ten  concentric  spheres,  each  sphere  being  under  the  influence  of 
one  of  the  Ten  Sephiroth  (or  "  Emanations "  of  the  Absolute), 
arranged  in  the  following  manner,  one  within  the  other : — 

1.  Q'^T'^T'^n  n''1^*^^'^     Rashtt/i  Jia-galgaUjti  =  lYi^  priiiiuni  mobile. 

2.  illT*172     Mazloth  =  The  sphere  of  the  Zodiac. 

3.  ^t^n^lt,'^     ShabbaiJiai  =  The  sphere  of  Saturn. 

4.  p'l^     Scdeq  =  The  sphere  of  Jupiter. 

5.  D^lt^^     Madun  =  The  sphere  of  Mars. 

6.  1I-*^1I?     SJicmesh  =  The  sphere  of  the  Sun. 

7.  T\y\1     Nogah  =  The  sphere  of  Venus. 

8.  3,^13     Kokab  =  The  sphere  of  Mercury. 

9.  mH/     Z^i^c?//^/^  =  The  sphere  of  the  Moon. 

lO-  jmiD"^  D^n     C7/6»/t;/// j^j-fWf?/'// =  The  mundane  sphere. 

Each  sphere  had  its  own  characteristics ;  but  the  spheres  of  the 
Seven  Planets  were  supposed  to  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
mankind ;  for  each  planet  presided  over  a  certain  section  of  human 
affairs,  and  the  man  who  wished  to  succeed  in  these  afiairs  must 
know  the  mystic  symbols  of  the  governing  planet,  and  the  names 
and  attributes  of  the  operating  genii.  When,  therefore,  we  meet 
with  metal  plates,  or  strips  of  parchment,  bearing  mysterious  symbols 
and  devices,  and  lists  of  more  or  less  unintelligible  names,  they  are 
usually  to  be  explained  as  charms  or  talismans,  intended  to  secure 
to  the  possessor  the  offices  of  the  spirits,  or  the  influence  of  the 
powers  of  the  planetary  spheres.  These  devices  are  of  various 
kinds.  There  is  the  "Signature"  or  character  appropriated  to  each 
planet — an  arbitrary  figure  somewhat  cruciform  in  outline.  Also  the 
"  signatures  "  of  the  beneficent  indwelling  spirits,  and  the  maleficent 

no 


Mar.  14]        TWO  KABBALISTIC  PLANETARY  CHARMS. 


[1906. 


demons  associated  with  the  planetary  spheres.  But  the  most  striking 
device  is  the  "  Magic  Square ;"  that  is  to  say,  a  square  figure  formed 
by  a  series  of  numbers  in  mathematical  proportion,  so  disposed  in 
parallel  and  equal  rows  that  the  sum  of  the  numbers  in  each  row  or 
line  taken  perpendicularly,  horizontally  or  diagonally,  is  equal. 

The  simplest  of  all  the  squares  is  that  of  Saturn.  As  Saturn 
presides  over  the  Third  Sphere,  he  has  a  Magic  Square  composed  of 
three  columns ;  thus  involving  nine  ciphers.  The  arithmetical  sum 
obtained  by  adding  up  each  column  perpendicularly  is  fifteen ;  and 
the  same  sum  is  obtained  by  adding  up  each  row  of  ciphers  horizon- 
tally, and  by  taking  them  diagonally  from  corner  to  corner ;  thus  : — 


4 

9           2 

3 

5 

7 

8      !      I           6 

Furthermore,  by  taking  the  arithmetical  sum  15,  and  multiplying 
it  by  the  number  of  the  sphere  =  3,  we  get  forty  five  as  the  product. 

The  numbers  in  italics  should  be  carefully  noted,  because  the 
Kabbalist  gives  special  mystic  names  to  each  of  them,  as  well  as  to 
the  numbers  derived  in  the  same  way  from  the  Magic  Squares  of  the 
other  planets. 

In  the  case  of  Saturn  : — 

3  has  the  ]\Iystic  Name  of  Ab. 
3x3=9        „  „  „  Hod. 

15         „  „  „  lah. 

15X3  =  45         »  »  »  Zazel} 

The  two  talismans  which  form  the  subject  of  this  paper  are  con- 
structed upon  Kabbalistic  principles.  They  both  contain  blunders 
arising  from  the  carelessness  or  ignorance  of  the  engraver ;  but  these 
probably  had  no  effect  upon  their  magical  virtues,  or  the  estimation 
in  which  they  were  held  by  their  possessors.  Occultists  are  perfectly 
aware  that  practical  magic  is  full  of  these  blunders ;  but  such 
difficulties  are  explained  by  the  convenient  theory  that  the  word  or 

^  The  manner  of  forming  these  mystic  names  is  obvious  to  anyone  acquainted 
with  the  numerical  properties  of  the  Hebrew  letters. 


Mar.  14] 


SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY, 


[1906. 


the  symbol  per  se  has  comparatively  little  value.  It  only  attains  its 
power  when  it  becomes  the  medium  oi  psychic  force. 

The  smaller  of  the  two  charms  (see  Plate  I,  figs,  i,  2)  is  appro- 
priated to  the  planet  Jupiter.  It  consists  of  a  silver  disk,  an  inch 
and  a  half  in  diameter,  with  a  suspension  loop. 

A  talisman  of  Jupiter  frequently  bears  in  its  centre  a  representa- 
tion of  a  "nobleman."  The  date  and  provenance  of  the  present 
specimen  is  shown  by  the  full  length  engraving  of  a  Dutch  burgo- 
master, attired  in  the  costume  worn  at  the  latter  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth centur}\  We  may  recognise  the  broad-brimmed  hat,  the 
flowing  wig,  the  square-cut  coat,  and  the  high-heeled  buckled  shoes. 

He  stands  between  the  two  halves  of  the  quaternary  square  of 
the  planet.     The  true  Magic  Square  should  be  as  under : — 


4      14      15        I 

9,7,6         12 

5 

II          10           8 

16 

2           3          13 

The  component  numbers  of  which  have  the  following  Mystic 

Names : — 

4  Aba. 

4x4=    16  Hagiel. 

34  Elab. 

34  X  4  =  136  JohpJiiel. 

The  numbers  that  actually  occur  on  the  talisman  will  not  add 
up.  They,  furthermore,  have  seven  asterisks  distributed  among  them 
for  the  purpose  of  mystifying  the  reader. 

Above  the  burgomaster  is  the  "  signature  "  of  the  indwelling  spirit 
of  Jupiter ;  while  he  tramples  under  his  feet  the  "  signature  "  of  the 
corresponding  demon. 

The  letters  M  L  I  M  are  possibly  the  initials  of  the  owner,  but 
more  probably  the  initials  of  the  four  EvangeHsts. 

Around  the  whole  device  is  a  circle  containing  the  names  of  angels. 

The  reverse  of  the  talisman  presents  a  circle  with  eight  rays.  In 
the  circle  are   engraved  three  lines  of  pseudo-Hebrew  characters. 

112 


PI, ATE    1. 


Proc.  Soi.  Bihl.  Arch.,  Manh,  1906. 


AJf- 


2 

REVERSE. 


KABBALISTIC  CHARMS. 
Belonging  to   W.    L.    Nash,    Esq. 


Mar.  14]        TWO  KABBALISTIC  PLANETARY  CHARMS. 


[1906. 


The  rays  bear  the  names  of  various  angels  ;  and  in  the  spandrels  are 
groups  of  three,  seven,  and  nine  stars,  interchanged  with  crosslets. 

Surrounding  all  is  a  border,  containing  the  mystic  names  of  the 
component  numbers  of  the  Magic  Square.  First  is  Agie/  ;  probably 
for  the  Angel  of  Jupiter,  though  the  usual  name  of  this  functionary 
is  Sachiel.  Then  comes  the  planetary  cipher  4,  followed  by  its 
Mystic  Name  Abab.  This  being  the  number  of  letters  in  the 
ineffable  name  niH^  it  is  expressed  in  Kabbalistic  style  by  Tetra- 
grammaton ;  followed  by  Hagiel,  Elab,  OiUd  Johphiell  for  16,  34  and 
136  respectively. 

These  celestial  names  and  transcendental  cyphers,  however,  were 
intended  to  serve  a  low  practical  purpose ;  for  they  were  engraved 
upon  this  talisman  with  the  object  of  securing  mere  temporal 
advantages.     The  Kabbalist  assures  us  that : — 

"  If  this  Magical  Square  be  engraved  upon  a  sheet  of  silver 
representing  Jupiter  in  a  powerful  and  dominant  conjunction,  then 
it  will  give  riches,  favour,  love,  peace,  and  harmony  with  mankind. 
It  will  reconcile  enemies.  It  will  ensure  honours,  dignities,  and 
government  position." 


The  larger  charm  (Plate  I,  figs.  3,  4)  is  a  silver  disk,  two  inches 
and  an  eighth  in  diameter.  It  is  appropriated  to  the  planet  Venus. 
Venus  being  the  regent  of  the  Seventh  Sphere,  her  Magic  Square  is, 
of  course,  septenary ;  and  is  arranged  as  follows  : — 


22 

47 

16 

41 

10 

35 

4 

5 

23 

48 

17 

42 

II 

29 

30 

6 

24 

49 

18 

36 

12 

13 

31 

7 

25 

43 

19 

37 

38 

14 

32 

I 

36 

44 

20 

21 

39 

8 

33 

0 

27 

45 

46 

15 

40 

9 

34 

3 

28 

Mar.  14] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCH/EOLOGY. 


[1906. 


The  component  numbers  of  this  square  are  set  out  below,  with 
their  Mystic  Names  in  italics  and  in  Hebrew  letters  : — 


7 

Ahca 

^^n« 

1^1-^ 

49 

Haoicl 

^s^^:n 

175 

Ocdeincl 

'r^^r^ip 

175  X  7  = 

1225 

Bcni  Sen 

iphiin 

Q^n"i\i>  ^:n 

The  charm  before  us  exhibits  the  erudition  of  the  engraver  by 
setting  out  the  planetary  square  in  Hebrew  characters.  It  has  two 
blunders  in  it,  both  of  them  in  the  second  column  from  the  left. 
The  second  square  from  the  top  has  ;i"^  for  y^)  ^iid  the  second 
square  from  the  bottom  has  H  7  for  "^ .  The  correct  table  is 
this : — 


n3 

XCl 

V 

b^r2 

1 

rh 

T 

n 

y2 

nn 

r 

1^2 

i^"" 

I2D 

^ 

1 

-ID 

i:ri 

TV 

iS 

^1 

:}■• 

^h 

T 

n3 

:.^ 

D^ 

h 

rh 

I"" 

^S 

t^ 

ID 

"ir2 

2 

\?c^ 

t^^ 

n 

h 

12 

^D 

nr2 

yci 

n"" 

n 

15 

^^ 

:i 

rx2 

Above  the  Magic  Square  is  ^^H^? ,  the  Mystic  Name  of  seven. 

Below  it  is  the  well-known  astronomical  symbol  of  Venus  ?  . 

In  the  outer  circle  we  again  meet  with  the  mystic  t^Ht^  on  the 
right  hand  ;  while,  on  the  left,  is  i^'':in  for  Hagie\l'\  the  Mystic 
Name  of  49."  On  the  top  is  engraved  1225,  the  product  of  multi- 
plying the  arithmetical  sum  of  the  square  by  its  planetary  number. 
The  Name  {Qedemel),  or  the  Number  175,  might  have  been  expected 
to  figure  at  the  bottom,  but  has  been  omitted  for  some  reason. 

*  A  corresponding  charm  in  ihc  British  Museum  has  tlie  full  word  .-N'Jn  Hagiel. 

114 


Mar.  14]        TWO  KABBALISTIC  TLANETARY  CHARMS.  [1906. 

The  reverse  of  the  talisman  gives  us  the  "  Signature  "  of  Venus  ; 
below  which  is  the  "  Signature  "  of  the  indwelling  spirit  of  the  planet, 
with  the  astronomical   $   in  the  field. 

Kabbalistic  lore  tells  us  that : — 

"This  Magic  Square  engraved  upon  a  sheet  of  silver  representing 
Venus  in  a  lucky  conjunction,  procures  harmony,  terminates  discords, 
and  obtains  female  favours.  It  assists  conception,  prevents  sterility, 
and  gives  conjugal  strength.  It  delivers  from  sorcery,  makes  peace 
between  husband  and  wife,  and  causes  all  kinds  of  animals  to  be 
produced  in  abundance.  Placed  in  a  dovecot,  it  causes  the  pigeons 
to  multiply  freely.  It  is  good  against  melancholy  sicknesses ;  and  is 
strengthening.     Carried  upon  the  person  it  makes  travellers  lucky." 

These  two  charms  are  interesting  as  memorials  of  the  belief  in 
magic,  astrology  and  witchcraft,  which  characterized  the  seventeenth 
century.  The  belief  was  shared  by  the  ablest  and  most  learned 
men  of  the  period.  In  fact  it  was  learning  (of  a  kind)  that  gave  it 
its  great  influence.  Johann  Reuchlin  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
Athanasius  Kircher  in  the  seventeenth,  devoted  much  time  and 
labour  to  expounding  the  abstruse  teachings  of  the  Kabbalah  ;  and 
they  were  eagerly  followed  by  a  crowd  of  lesser  luminaries.  The 
Kabbalah  itself  was  at  first  a  body  of  theosophic  doctrine  originated 
by  the  Jews  of  Spain  in  the  thirteenth  century  on  the  lines  of  Neo- 
Platonism ;  but  the  mysticism  of  the  early  Kabbalists  speedily 
developed  a  system  of  magic,  that  gradually  absorbed  all  the  half- 
forgotten  fancies  of  Greek  sorcery  and  astrology.  Thus  Kabbalism 
became  the  principal  repertory  of  magical  ideas ;  and  all  the  forms 
of  modern  occultism,  whatever  their  names  may  be,  have  derived 
their  material  from  the  Kabbalah  ;  although  the  debt  is  not  always 
acknowledged. 

The  British  Museum  possesses  seven  of  these  planetary  charms, 
exhibited   in   the  Mediaeval    Room,  Table  Case  B.      All  of  them 
except  No.  I  appear  to  have  been  part  of  the  Sloane  Collection. 
They  may  be  described  as  follows  : — 
I.  A  silver  disk,  pierced. 

Obverse. — A  magic  square  of  four  columns  in  Hebrew 
characters;  above  which  is  the  word  ^t^v^^  •  On  the  right 
side  t«^2i^.  On  the  left  side  '^i^'^Cn*' •  At  the  base  2/. 
Below  all  "136." 

IIS 


Mar.   14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV.  [1906. 

Reveise. —  The  " signature  "  of  Jupiter;  below  which  is 
the  astronomical  1/ ,  and  the  "  signature  "  of  the  indwelling 
spirit  of  the  planet.  On  the  right  hand  the  words,  ^'Confirmo 
O  Deus potentisshm/s."'^ 

II.  A  silver  disk,  pierced. 

Obverse. — A  magic  square  of  four  columns,  without  an)- 
dividing  lines,  above  which  are  the  words,  '■^J}/>a  iohphiel 
Hismaeir  On  the  right  hand  the  "signature"  of  Jupiter. 
On  the  left  "  SachielT  Below,  the  signatures  of  the  spirit 
and  demon  of  the  planet. 

Reverse. — A  nondescript  winged  figure,  and  the  word 
"  Gabriel/:' 

III.  An  octagonal  plate,  with  suspension  loop,  cast  in  pewter. 

Obverse. — A  magic  square  of  four  columns,  in  Hebrew 
characters,  surmounted  by  the  figure  of  a  throned  monarch. 
At  sides  and  base  are  various  emblems. 

Reverse. — Twelve  lines  of  Hebrew. 

IV.  A  thick  oval  of  reddish  bronze,  with  suspension  loop.     [The 

rubric  states  that  the  talisman  of  Mars  in  a  fortunate  con- 
junction should  be  of  iron.  But  a  charm  constructed  under 
an  unfortunate  conjunction  must  be  in  "red  brass."  It 
will  then  have  sundry  maleficent  properties,  including  the 
power  of  "striking  terror  into  one's  enemies,  and  compelling 
them  to  submit."] 

Obverse. — A  magic  square  of  five  columns,  in  Arabic 
numerals,  surmounted  with  the  symbol  of  Mars  ^ . 

Reverse. — A  man  in  complete  armour,  of  apparently 
sixteenth  century  date,  brandishing  a  drawn  sword  above 
his  head.  Below  him  the  ''  signature  "  of  Mars.  Above,  in 
a  kind  of  heraldic  chief,  the  symbol  ^ . 

V.  Square  plate  of  silver,  with  suspension  loop. 

Obverse. — A  magic  square  of  seven  columns,  in  Arabic 
numerals;  above  which  are  the  words  Nihil  Deo  impossible. 
On  the  right  hand,  Quis  sicut  itiforfibtis.  Running  round 
the  bottom  and  left  hand,  O  tetragramaton  qui  apernisti 
vulvam  RachelcB  coiicepit  filii. 

Reverse. — A  clothed  female  figure  seated  on  a  throne, 
bearing  in  her  right  hand  a  feathered  dart ;    in  her  raised 

^  There  is  a  precisely  similar  medal  in  the  York  Museum. 
116 


PLATE  II. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bthi.  Arch.,  March,  1906. 


REVERSE. 

KABBALISTIC  MEDAL. 

Belonging  to  W.   L.   Nash,  Esq. 


Mar.  14]        TWO  KABBALISTIC  PLANETARY  CHARMS.  [1906. 

left  hand  a  flower.  Two  birds  on  the  back  of  the  throne. 
To  right,  the  symbol  ?  ,  a  balance  with  the  sign  £i,  and  the 
signature  of  the  spirit  of  Venus.  To  left,  the  signature  of 
Venus,  a  crouching  bull,  surmounted  by  0,  and  the 
signature  of  the  planetary  demon. 

VI.  An  exactly  similar  plate  in  copper :  with  the  same  devices. 

[According  to  the  rubric,  a  talisman  of  Venus  in  a  lucky 
conjunction  should  be  in  silver.  Under  an  unlucky  aspect, 
the  charm  should  be  in  copper.  It  was  then  supposed  to 
have  a  precisely  opposite  effect.  The  two  plates  in  the 
Museum,  therefore,  are  complementary ;  and  represent  the 
planet  in  both  its  beneficent  and  its  maleficent  qualities.] 

VII.  A  silver  disk,  pierced.  It  bears  an  old  label,  reading, 
"  Silver  amulet  or  talisman  ??iade  under  the  Joint  influence 
of  Venus  and  the  Moon.     Date  XVI or  XVII  century." 

Obverse. — Magic  square  of  seven  columns,  in  Hebrew 
characters.  Above  all  1225  and  nin"^-  On  the  right 
^«'':in  .     On  the  left  t^Hfc^  .     Below  all  fc^nhi  • 

Reverse. — 'Jlie  "signature"  of  Venus;  the  signature  of 
the  indwelling  spirit,  £b  and  ?  .  The  following  words  are 
engraved  in  a  spiral  around  these  figures.  '■'■  Accipe  mihi 
petitione  O  Domine  keep  uie  as  apple  of  an  eye  hide  me  under 
the  shadow  of  thy  wings  from  all  evel  (sic)  up  Lord  and  help 
us  for  thou  art  my  strong  rock  a7id  my  castle  Amen" 

To  the  above  list  I  may  add  a  description  of  a  pewter  medal 
with  Talismanic  inscriptions  belonging  to  Mr.  Nash  (Plate  II), 
bearing  : 

Obverse. 

An  interlaced  star  of  eight  points.  In  the  spaces  of  the  figure 
are  the  letters  of  the  word  Tetragramaton.  Around  the  figure 
are  the  astronomical  hieroglyphs  of  the  seven  planets,  and  a  star  with 
eight  rays,  thus  : 

Around  all  are  "  Words  of  Power,"  separated  by  Maltese  crosses  : 

oO°  adonay+  sother  +  astisap  +  el  +  on  +  iesus  +  christus  +  hely  + 

G+M+B+ 
117 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^OLOGV.  [1906. 


Reverse. 

An  interlaced  star  of  five  points,  forming  the  "seal  of  David." 
"Seals"  of  angels  between  the  points.  Surrounded  by  sixteen 
"  seals  "  of  angels  ;  making  twenty-one  "seals  "  in  all. 

In  the  surrounding  circle  are  the  words  : — 

o 
°o°  agla  +  tetragramaton  -+-  elion  -f  pantagaton  +  eloy-f  ananisapt  + 

emanuel 

I  wish  also  to  draw  attention  to  a  very  beautiful  porcelain  bowl 
and  saucer  exhibited  by  Mr.  Nash.  Both  pieces  have  a  magic 
square  of  sixteen  spaces,  surrounded  by  lines  of  an  inscription 
in  Arabic  alternating  with  lines  of  an  ornamental  pattern.  I  can 
offer  no  further  account  of  this  object  until  the  inscription  has 
been  translated. 


NOTE    ON    TWO    FIGURES    FOUND    NEAR    THE 
SOUTH    TEMPLE    AT    WADY    HALFA. 

By  p.  Scott-Moncrieff,  B.A. 

While  excavating  for  the  Sudan  Government  at  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty  temple  near  Wady  Haifa  during  the  months  of  November 
and  December  last,  I  opened  up  a  vaulted  brick  chamber  which 
abutted  on  the  old  temenos  wall.  Its  appearance  is  very  much  like 
that  of  the  vaulted  shrine  of  Taharka  at  Semneh  opened  in  1904  by 
Dr.  Budge  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Crowfoot,  and  for  that  reason  the  Haifa 
chamber  may  very  probably  owe  its  origin  to  the  same  king.  In 
it,  however,  was  found  a  strange  miscellany  of  objects.  The  first 
figure  illustrated  [Plate,  figs,  i  and  2],  which  stands  17^  inches  high, 
was  found  with  several  Middle  Empire  grave-stelae,  pots,  and  other 
fragments,  at  the  bottom  of  the  chamber,  some  12  feet  below  the 

surface.      It  is  the  portrait  of  Sehek-em-heb,  ^^  ^^\    [  ft  j ,  a  scribe 

of  the  soldiers ;  the  brief  inscription  on  the  kntes  of  the  figure  only 

118 


Proc.  Soc.  Bihl.  Airli.,  Maicli,  1906. 


Fig-  3- 


Fig.  I.  Fig.  2. 

FIGURES    FROM    WADY    HALFA. 
Found  by  P,  Scott-Monciieff,  Esq. 


Mar.  14]         TWO  FIGURES  FOUND  AT  WADY  HALFA.  [1906. 

contains  the  name  and  ofifice  of  the  deceased,  with  the  usual  Suten 
ta  hotep  formula  addressed  to  Ptah.  As  may  be  seen  from  the 
illustration,  it  is  of  fine  workmanship,  and  executed  in  a  style  of 
great  dignity  and  repose.  The  material  is  black  basalt,  and  it  clearly 
belongs  to  the  Xlllth  dynasty. 

The  other  figure  [Plate,  fig.  3]  was  found  some  time  before  the 
bottom  of  the  chamber  was  reached,  only  about  3  feet  from  the 
surface :  close  by  it  were  two  fragments  of  ostraka,  inscribed  in  cursive 
Meroitic.  It  is  of  soft  limestone,  and  stands  about  18  inches  high. 
In  spite  of  the  rudeness  of  the  workmanship  and  the  primitive  idol- 
like expression  it  bears,  the  object  is  surely  meant  for  a  copy  of  an 
Egyptian  figure.  The  red  is  exactly  the  tint  found  on  Egyptian 
work.  The  necklace  and  wig  also  seem  to  show  an  effort  to  copy 
an  Egyptian  model.  Its  date  and  origin,  however,  are  difficult  to 
guess,  but  it  may  possibly  belong  to  the  period  of  the  later  Nubian 
empire,  about  which  so  little  is  at  present  known.  The  existence  of 
Meroitic  ostraka  close  by  would  support  this  supposition. 

The  presence  of  Middle  Empire  objects  in  a  brick  chamber 
which  must  be  of  much  later  date  may  perhaps  be  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  they  originally  came  from  the  Middle  Empire  brick 
temple  a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  and  having  perhaps  been  brought 
into  the  XVII Ith  dynasty  temple  soon  after  it  was  built,  they  were 
afterwards,  in  unsettled  times,  thrown  into  the  brick  chamber. 
Their  position,  lying  anyhow,  seems  to  confirm  this.  All  the  objects 
are  now  in  the  Gordon  College  at  Khartoum,  and  will  eventually  be 
placed  in  the  museum  shortly  to  be  built  there. 


119 


Mar.  14]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 


"THE    STAR    OF    STARS"    AND    DILGAN. 

The  author  omitted  to  refer  to  the  identification,  by  Mr.  R. 
Brown,  of  the  "Star  of  Stars  "with  the  Pleiades  {see.  ^'^  Primitive 
Constellations"  II,  209),  an  identification,  however,  which  is  based 
on  different  grounds  to  those  adopted  by  the  author  of  the  Paper. 


The  next  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
Wednesday,  May  9th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  : — 

Dr.    Pinches :    "  The    Babylonian    Gods    of  War, 
and  their  Legends." 


120 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE    SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCH.EOLOGY 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,     1906. 


FourtJi  Meeting,  May  gtli,  1906. 
Rev.  W.  T.  FILTER,  M.A., 


IN    THE   CHAIR. 


-%'^- 


[No.  ccxi.] 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : — 

From    the    Author,    Prof.     Dr.    A.    Wiedemann. — "^gyptische 

Grabreliefs  aus  der  Grossherzoglichen  Altertiimer-Sammlung,  zu 

Karlsruhe." 
From     the     Author,     Prof.     Waldemar     Schmidt. — "  Choix     de 

Monuments  Egyptiens." 
From  the  Author,   Mon'.  A.  Baillet. — "  Les  Vases   '  Oucheb '  et 

'Sochen.'" 
From  the  Publishers,  Messrs.  Putnam. — "  Man's  Responsibility," 

by  T,  G.  Carson. 


THE    LIBRARY. 


BOOK-BINDING    FUND. 

The  following  donations  have  been  received  : — 
March,  1906  : — 

The  Rev.  W.  T.  Pilter        ^100 

The  Hon.  Miss  E.  Plunket  ...  ...         ^i      i     o 


The  following  Candidate  for  Membership  was  elected 
C.  Barclay  Holland,  Esq.,  9,  Beaumont  Street,  W. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

Dr.  T.  G.  Pinches:    ''The  Babylonian  Gods  of  War,  and 
their  Legends." 

Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 


May  9]  LE  DIEU  SETH  ET  LE  ROI  SETHOSIS.  [1906. 


LE    DIEU   SETH    ET    LE    ROI    SETHOSIS. 
Par  Victor  Loret. 

Dans  son  tres  curieux  ouvrage  A?(s  ^-Egypfetis  Vo7-zeit} — ou  se 
rencontrent,  a  cote  d'assertions  aventureuses  et  deconcertantes,  un 
grand  nombre  d'apergus  ingenieux  et  originaux  qu'il  serait  bon  de  ne 
pas  laisser  tomber  dans  Toubli, — F.  Lauth  a  emis,  au  sujet  du  nom 

du  roi  W|  [j[l )  une  idee  qui  n'a  pas  fait  fortune  et  qui  pourtant,  si  je 

ne  me  trompe,  meritait  un  meilleur  sort.  A  son  avis,  ce  nom  ne 
doit  pas  se  lire  Seti,  ce  qui  eiit  donne  en  grec  une  transcription 
*2e'(?(9,  mais  bien  Soiifekhi,  ou  plutot  Setoukht,  ce  qui  explique  tres 
naturellement  la  transcription  manethonienne  '^eOwci^,  dans  laquelle 
le  ®  est  rendu  par  un  9.  On  constate,  en  effet,  la  meme  maniere  de 
rendre  le  0  par  un  ^  dans  la  transcription  'Eoof^i^,   2nu-0/s-  du  nom 

royal  ©^   ^    • 

D'apres  Lauth,  on  le  voit,  le  signe  To   repondrait  ici,  non  pas  a 


la  forme  10  du  nom  divin,  mais  bien  a  la  forme        v\      TB  , 

la  plus  frequente  d'ailleurs  sous  les  Ramessides.  Toute  cette  argu- 
mentation me  parait  fort  rationnelle,  et  je  m'etonne  qu'on  ne  I'ait, 
dans  la  suite,  jamais  discutee,  ni  meme  signalee.  Or,  il  me  semble 
que  I'opinion  de  Lauth  est  d'autant  plus  juste,  que  meme  le  nom 

W,  sur  lequel  repose  pour  fd  (|[l  la  lecture  Se^i,  est  loin  de 

presenter  une  apparence  correcte  et  originelle. 

On  a,  en  effet,  releve  deja  depuis  longtemps,  dans  une  copie  du 
chapitre  XVII   du  Zwre  des   morts   peinte    sur   le   sarcophage   de 

Sebek-aa  (IMoyen  Empire),  deux  exemples  de  I'orthographe 

pour  le  nom  du  dieu  Seth.-     Cette  orthographe  est  hors  de  toute 

^  Berlin,  in  8°,  18S1,  pp.  292-293. 

"  R.  Lepsius,  A£Ueste  Texle  des  Todtenbuchs^  pi.  xxxi,  col.  27  et  28. 
123  L    2 


May  9]  SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ACCH-EOLOGV.  [1906. 

discussion,  le  meme    signe   «— =*   se    retrouvant,    a   deux   colonnes 

d'intervalle,  dans  le  mot  bien  connu  1   I  "^^^^  (col.  26).     II  n'y 

a  done  pas  lieu  de  chercher  a  voir  dans  ce  signe  quelque  determinatif 

phonetique  du  son  ,  comme  par  exemple  0=  ou  < — ««.     C'est 

bien  du  0—='  qu'il  s'agit  ici  •'  et  ce  signe  represente  un  element 
phonetique  du  mot,  soit  le  son  0,  soit  plutot  la  lettre  (  w  1.  On  a 
remarque,    en  effet,    dans  plusieurs  textes  du    Moyen    Empire,  des 

equivalences    comme    0^|]^,    ^^-^-^^f],'    oa^f]^,    ou 
,      ^    ,   ^^ ,  ou  encore    I  ,^v>,^  ^vS' '    '  ^^^^  ^>S ' 

1    AA/VAAA  'V/V  ' 

I        AA/NA/VX  ^^ 

D'autre  part,  un   autre  sarcophage  de  meme  epoque,  celui  de 
Mentou-hotep,    presente    au    meme    chapitre   XVII,    au    lieu    de 

',  I'orthographe      '^    ^H.''     La  encore  on  pour  rait  hesiter  et 


chercher  a  voir  dans  ce  signe  1 .i  une  variante  du  ced  des  temps 

posterieurs.     En  realite,  il  n'y  a  aucun  motif  d'hesitation.     Ce  signe 
se  retrouve,  sur  le  meme  sarcophage,  et  dans  le  meme  chapitre  du 

Livre  des  i/iotis,  dans  les  mots  (col.  11,  12,  30),  ^^\    J\ 

s.    I  J\    JVv^ 

(col.  12,   13),  E=^  m    (col.   21),  (col.  y,\  U-^^fTT 

(col.  43),  etc.     Le  cnzs  est 


(col.  :,s),  ^^,,  (col.  38).        ^ 

done  bien  partout  un  1  w   1  et,  les  deux  sarcophages  appartenant  a  la 
meme  epoque,  il  est  bien  evident,  puisque  *>-=>  et  1 1  se  remplacent, 


que  le  signe  «>-=',  dans  le  nom    ^    |/7r ,  est  bien  la  lettre  1   w  1 


'  Sur  le  sarcophage  de  ^  |  |  a^  U  (^^^"^  dyn.),  recemment  decouvert  a  Beni- 
Hassan  par  M.  Garstang  et  public  par  M.  Lacau  {Ann.  du  Set~v.  des  Antiq.,  t.v., 
pp.  246-249),  on  rencontre  trois  nouv^eaux  exemples  de  la  meme  orlhographe 
Q  ]  (11.  6-7,  75  et  82).  Le  premier  de  ces  trois  exemples,  qui  appartient  a  un 
texte  deja  connu  par  ailleurs,  a  pour  variantes,  aux  pyramides  de  Saqqarah, 
>5--J  (Ounas,  69)  et  P  j_S_^  (I'cpi  II,  330). 

■•  K.  Sethe,  Das  ugyptische  Verbuin,  t.  I,  §  259. 
5  R.  Lepsius,  op.  cit.,  pi.  II,  col.  20. 

124 


May  9]  LE  DIEU  SETH  ET  LE  ROI  SETHOSIS.  [1906. 

Done,    sous   le    Moyen    Empire,    le    nom   du    dieu    Seth    etait 
ou     ^    Ay ,  soit  S-f-sch.     En  etait-il  de  meme  aux  epoques 

immediatement  voisines,  soit  anterieures,  soit  posterieures  ? — Nous 
allons  voir  que  oui. 

Dans  las  textes  des  pyramides  de  Saqqarah,  partout  le  nom  du 
dieu,  lorsqu'il  nest  pas  exprime  au  moyen  du  figuratif   ^^-^,    est 

ecrit     1  ,  avec,  comme  dernier   signe,   un    1        1  qui   presente 


exactement  la  meme  forme  que  le  1        1  (=  1   v\   1)  d'autres  mots  dans 

les  memes  textes.     Certes,  le  nom  n'etant  pas  suivi  du  J^.  deter- 

minatif  ordinaire  des  noms  divins,— ce  qui  s'explique  d'ailleurs  par 
I'hostilite  entre  Seth  et  Horus, — on  pourrait  etre  tente  de  voir  dans 
I  I  un  determinatif  et  de  le  considerer  comme  I'equivalent  de  dE, 
d'autant  plus  que  ce  dernier  signe  offre  parfois  la  forme  allongee 
I       I.     Mais,  aux  pyramides  de  Saqqarah,  les  noms  divins  se  pre- 

sentent  le  plus  souvent  sans  determinatif,  et    I =  S-t-sch  sans 

determinatif  n'est  pas  plus  embarrassant  que        Q  ^   O,    ^ ,   U  , 

\  <2>-,    '^^   1     (Teti,    87,    91,    143,    172),    etc.      J'admets    que, 

materiellement,  sous  I'Ancien  Empire,  le   1       !  de    1 peut  etre 

aussi  bien  un  \ZD  qu'un  1  •  i.  Mais,  ce  qui  montre  qu'il  est  bien  un 
r      I  (1   u   1),  et  que  le    1  des  pyramides  de  Saqqarah  est  iden- 


tique  au     ^    /H  ■=^     '^     /H  du  Moyen  Empire,  c'est  que,  encore 

sous  le  Nouvel  Empire  et  posterieurement  meme  au  regne  de 
Sethosis,  le  nom  du  dieu  Seth  est  toujours  ecrit  au  moyen  d'un 
bien  caracteristique  et  completement  distinct  du  I    I. 

Au  Papyrus  d'Ani,  par  exemple,  le  nom  est  ecrit      ^    -Tf  *"  et 


^^^^^^^^^       -       Or,  I  —  I  est,  au  meme  papyrus,  employe  dans 

(pi.  19,  §  XV,   12)  et  I ■■!  est  employe  dans  o  "O  (pi.  8, 

<.    *     ^     \r      000 

*  Facsimile   of  the  fapyrtts  oj  Aui,  London,   British  Museum,  in-fol. ,   1S94, 
pi.  8,  §xvii,  67-68. 

''  Ibid.,  pi.  8,  §  xvii,  69. 

125 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 


§  xvii,  61-62),  dans   1 1  n.         (pi.  8,  §  xvii,  70),  dans   -^^  D 


(pi.   19,  hymne  a  Osiris,   i),  tandis   que  CD,  dans  le   mot  CD 

(pi.  ig,  §xv,  11),  a  une  forme  absolument  differente. 

Changer  en  S-t-sch  un  nom  que  tous,  depuis  Champollion,  nous 
avons  toujours  lu  Set^  etait  chose  trop  grave  pour  que  je  ne  me  sois 
pas  entoure,  avant  d'oser  proposer  cette  nouvelle  lecture,  de  toutes 
les  precautions  possibles.  J'ai  patiemment  depouille  en  son  entier, 
ligne  par  ligne,  I'edition  du  Todteiihuch  de  Naville,  dans  laquelle  se 
trouvent  reunies  un  grand  nonibre  de  variantes  datant  de  la  XVIIP, 
de  la  XIX®  et  de  la  XX®  dynastie.     Partout,  a  part  d'insignifiantes 

exceptions, s  lors  qu'il  n'est  pas  ecrit  ^5— rJ"  ^^'^  L   \>     Jf] '  ^^  '^'^''''^  '^^ 

dieu  est  ecrit     ^    ^ ,  avec  un  1   w  1  qui  presente  trois  ou  quatre 


formes  differentes,  mais  toujours  identiques  aux  formes  varices  que 
revet  le  1  \s  1  dans  des  mots  ou  sa  valeur  alphabetique  est  hors  de 
toute  discussion.  Or,  ces  variations  memes,  concordant  toujours 
exactement  avec  les  variations  du  signe  1  \\  1  dans  les  autres  mots, 
constituent  precisement  un  argument  dont  il  est  impossible  de 
meconnaitre  Timportance  extreme.  Par  contre,  dans  ce  meme 
recueil,  le  nun]  ne  presente  jamais  aucun  rapport  avec  le  troisieme 

sitrne  du  nom     '^ 


Meme  constatation  dans  la  riche  collection  des  textes  de  sar- 
cophages  du  Moyen  Empire  que  public  en  ce  moment  M.  Lacau 
dans  divers  ouvrages,  et  I'auteur  lui-meme  n'a  pu,  au  moins  une  fois, 
s'empecher  d'attirer  specialement  I'attention  du  lecteur  sur  ce  fait 
que  le  1  vv  1  du  nom  de  Seth  est  absolument  identique  a  la  lettre 
I  v\  I  d'autres  mots.'' 

Je  n'enumererai  pas,  par  crainte  de  prolixite,  une  quantite  d'autres 
remarques  analogues  que  j'ai  relevees  un  peu  de  tous  cotes.  Je 
dirai  seulement  que  toutes  les  notes  que  j'ai  prises  sur  cette  question 
m'ont  unanimement  et  desesperement  ramene  a  cette  meme  conclu- 
sion, qu'au  moins  jusqu'a  la  chute  des  Ramessides  (j'ai  juge  inutile 
pour  le  moment  de  faire  porter  mon  enquete  au  dela  de  cette  epoque) 
le  nom  du  dieu  Seth  s'est  toujours  ecrit  S-t-sch. 

^  Meme  dans  ces  quelques  cas  exceplionnels,  qui  resultent  de  fautes  d'inatlen- 
tion  ou  de  transcriptions  maladroites,  jamais  je  n'ai  rencontre  le  CZl. 
'  Annalcs  du  Sei~vice  des  Atitiqtiith,  t.  v.,  p.  231,  n.  2. 

126 


May  9]  LE  DIEU  5ETH  ET  LE  ROI  SETHOSIS.  [1906. 

Ce  fait  nouveau,  dont  la  realite  me  parait  indeniable, — et  qu'en 
tout  cas  chacun  pourra  facilement  controler  et  verifier, — est  appele  a 
Jeter  quelque  trouble  dans  des  habitudes  prises  et  dans  des  theories 
admises  depuis  longtemps.  II  nous  sera  difificile  de  continuer  a 
parler  du  temple  de  Seti  a  Abydos  ;  nous  devrons  dire  Setoukhi  ou 
Setouschi,  ou  plus  commodement  Scthosis.  II  nous  faudra  renoncer 
a  voir  dans  le  dieu  Seth,  du  moins  avant  la  XX®  dvnastie,  le  dieu  de 


la  terre  ou  du  desert     '='    ,  ,  par  opposition  a  quelque  Osiris 

niliaque  ou  a  quelque  Horus  celeste.  Enfin,  nous  devrons,  nous 
conformant  d'ailleurs  a  la  transcription  classique  2;}0,  orthographier 
Seth  et  non  plus  Set  le  nom  du  dieu  typhonien,  afin  de  maintenir  le 
souvenir  de  I'ancienne  aspiree  ^*-='. 

Quoi  qu'il  en  soit,  il  est  evident  que,  du  fait  que  le  dieu  Seth 
s'est  appele  S-t-sch  pendant  plus  de  vingt  dynasties,  decoulent 
naturellement  un  grand  nombre  de  remarques  et  d'observations, 
dont  je  veux  signaler  ici  quelques-unes  des  plus  importantes. 

I. — II  est  certain  qu'a  un  moment  donne  le  nom  du  dieu  Seth 

M 

s'est  orthographic  .     Quelle  est  I'origine  de  cette  orthographe, 

et  quel  rapport  presente-t-elle  avec  le  nom  ^/}^? 


L'orthographe  est  tres  recente.     Elle  est  surtout  frequente 

dans  les  textes  ptolemaiques.  On  la  rencontre  au  Todtenbuch  de 
Lepsius  et  dans  les  nombreux  travaux  de  mythologie  pour  lesquels 
on  a  utilise  ce  tres  malencontreux   document.     Cette  circonstance 


fait  que,  I'orthographe  etant  devenue  classique,  s'etant  ancree 

en  nous  par  la  force  de  I'habitude,  bien  des  editeurs  d'inscriptions 


ont  copie  et  fait  imprimer  dans  des  cas  ou  I'original  portait 

certainement     ^    ."^"     Pour  decouvrir  I'epoque  exacte  du  premier 


emploi  certain  de  ,  il  sera  done  prudent  de  revoir  les  originaux. 

^"  M.  Budge,  qui  fait  imprimer  ordinairement  le  nom  |  ^^^  4]  ,  meme  dans  des 
textes  de  la  XVIIP  dvnastie,  le  fait  imprimer  correctement  dans  la  phrase 
P  .-^  ^  <==  f^  D  p  [)l]  (77;e  Book  of  the  Dead,  Text,  p.  496),  tres  certaine- 
ment parce  que  le  voisinage  des  signes  r  1  et  Eini  lui  a  fait  remarquer  entre  les 
deux  una  difference  caracteristique  de  forme. 

127 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-liOLOGV.  [1906. 

En  tout  cas,  je  n'ai  jamais  remarque  ce  nom  dans  les  textes  anterieurs 
a  la  XX^  dynastic. 

II  semble  naturel,  a  premiere  vue,  que  la  forme  recente 


derive   d'une   erreur  de   lecture  du  nom     ^    .      En  examinant  la 

question  de  plus  pres,  il  parait  pourtant  difficile  qu'une  telle  erreur 
ait  pu  se  produire  dans  un  nom  de  divinite  aussi  repandu  que  celui 
du  dieu  Seth.  Qu'un  vieux  mot,  oublie  pendant  des  siecles,  ait  pu 
reparaitre  un  jour  sous  une  forme  fautive,  rien  de  plus  admissible. 
Mais,  qu'un  nom  employe  journellement  ait  pu  se  modifier  brusque- 
ment  pour  des  raisons  epigraphiques,  c'est  la  un  fait  qu'il  me  parait 
difficile  d'admettre. 


Si  Ton  a  pu,  un  jour,  ecrire  ,  c'est-a-dire  6"-/,  le  nom  d'une 

divinite  que  tout  le  monde  appelait  S-t-sch,  c'est  que  le  dieu  Seth 
devait  porter,  outre  son  nom  S-t-sch,  un  autre  nom,  analogue  a  S-t. 
Des  lors,  la  confusion  s'expliquerait.  Et  elle  s'expliquerait  encore 
mieux  si  le  nom  S-i-sc/i,  pour  telle  ou  telle  raison,  avait  disparu  de 
la  langue  a  un  moment  donne,  ou  plutot  s'etait  modifie  progressive- 
ment  au  point  de  ne  plus  pouvoir  etre  machinalement  reconnu  dans 

^    ^ .     Or,  ces  deux  particularites  se  presentent. 

Le  dieu  Seth,  en  effet,  des  la  XVIIP  dynastie,  porte  tres  souvent 
le  nom  de   I  v\     3\ .     Ce  nom  me  parait  etre  un  ethnique  analogue 

a  fwl     tp  ,  autre  nom  tres  frequent  du  meme  dieu.     On  sait  que 


le  dieu  Seth  etait  considere  comme  natif  de  la  ville  de 
dont  le  nom  devait  tres  certainement  se  lire  Soiit}^  Le  nom 
Wl^  etait  done,  a  [ipp-ce  que  r^^^  etait  a  f^^. 
Que  les  Egyptiens,  qui  donnaient  a  Seth  le  nom  de  Souti,  aient  pu, 


mec&nnaissant  la  valeur  du  c;roupe     ^    ,  v  voir  un  mot  qu'ils 

prononCj-aient    Soiifi,    rien    de    plus   vraisemblable,    surtout    si    Ton 


(iOV,  dies  (G.  Masi'ERO,  Et.  c'gypt.,  t.  I,  p.  177,  n.  3). 

128 


May  9]  LE  DIEU  SETH  ET  LE  ROI  SETHOSIS.  [1906. 

considere   que   Ton   rencontre    parfois,  dans  les  textes  recents,  les 
orthographes  intermediaires   I        ,    J,  \>        et   I   \\ 


Mais,  pour  que  les  Egyptiens  pussent  voir  dans     ^    /M  un  nom 

Son^i,  il  semble  de  toute  evidence  qu'ils  devaient  en  meme  temps 
avoir  cesse  de  donner  a  Seth  le  nom  de  S-t-sch,  sans  quoi  ils  auraient 

reconnu  ce  dernier  nom  dans     ^    -Y|  .      Or,  cette  seconde  particu- 

larite  me  parait  egalement  certaine.     Le  nom   I    v\      J^,  si  repandu 

en  Egypte  a  partir  des  Ramessides,  a  du  tres  vite  se  confondre  et 

s'identifier  avec  le  vieux  nom     ^    3\,  et  meme  le  remplacer  com- 

pletement.     D'ou  I'explication  du  double  phenomene  linguistique  et 
epigraphique  :  Soutkh,  d'une  part,  supplantant  Soutsch  definitivement 

banni  de  la  langue  ;  ,  d'autre  part,  remplacant  le  mot      ^ 


dans  lequel, — ayant  oublie  le  nom  Soutsch, — on  ne  pouvait  voir 
qu'une  orthographe  archaique  de   I  ^      ^  . 

Enfin,  je  ne  suppose  pas  que  'S.ljO  pre'sente  le  moindre  rapport 

H— 

avec  =  Sotifi}^    Te  crois  preferable  d'y  voir  plutot  une  trans- 

cription  de    I  V\     3\   considere  comme  forme  recente  de     ^    ^  . 

II  faut  remarquer,  en  effet,  que  '^ijO  se  termine  par  un  0,  et  non  par 
un  T.  Je  sais  bien  que,  dans  ^tfiV,  le  0  final  repond  a  un  c:> ,  mais 
il  n'en  est  pas  moins  vrai  que,  dans  des  noms  comme  \\6vp,  Ne'0^i; 9, 
pour  n'en  citer  que  deux,  le  6  repond  a  o  +  8  •  Certes,  i  y^  ^  r^  ' 
vocalise  Smith,  aurait  du  donner  *^wO  et  non  2>/^,  mais  on  pourrait 
citer   bien   des    noms   vocalises  en    on  qui    ont  pris   aux  e'poques 

recentes  une  vocalisation  en  /,    Si    \  [1   '^^.    a  pu  devenir  bh:X) 

si  V  _%-    ^  pu  devenir  M<V,  rien  d'anormal  a  ce  que  Smith 


ait  pu  devenir  Saith  (2'/^),  tout  comme    ^^  jV  \^ '    ^'^"''^^'  ^^'- 
devenu  Gaib  {Kt'jlS). 

^-  Je  crois  me  lappeler,  mais  je  n'oserais  affirmer  que  ma   memoire  ne  me 
trompe   pas,  avoir    rencontre   la    forme  ,  v  IME     dans    des    textes    d'epoque 

ptolemaique. 

129 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^iOLOGY.  [1906. 

Un  fait  assez  significatif  vient  d'ailleurs  corroborer  cette  maniere 
de  voir.  On  sait  que  les  etymologies  donnees  dans  le  traite  grec 
Siir  /sis  et  Osiris  sont  generalement  correctes,  sinon  toujours  au 
point  de  vue  mythologique,  du  nioins  au  point  de  vue  linguistique. 
Or  (§^  41,  49),  le  nom  2)/C  y  est  explique  comme  exprimant,  en 
egyptien,    les    idees    de   cofitraindre,    opprimer,  soiimettre,  renverser 

(70    Kd-acvinia-cro}'  Kfit    Ka-Tfiftin^oucvoi',  -Tijv    f'iu(i<T~f)O0>'ji').       Je    ne    VOis 

guere  que  les  factitifs  en    I  de  <--=-^  Q  ^^^^ ,  "  etre  bas,"  et  ^^^  > 

"  etre  renverse,"  qui  aient  pu  inspirer  cette  etymologie.  D'ou  !a 
preuve  formelle  que  le  nom  egyptien  transcrit  "Er'jO  comportait  une 
aspiree  fmale.     Aucun  radical  ou  ,   a  ma  connaissance, 

n'amenerait  a  la  meme  signification. 

La    transcription    Sef/i    est    done   la   plus    correcte   que    nous 

puissions  donner  du  nom     ^     .^  =   I  ^^     ^  .     Elle  a  le  double 

avantage  de  transcrire  exactement  le  nom  S;)0,  et  de  conserver 
I'aspiree  finale  du  mot  egyptien. 

2. — -On  rencontre  assez  frequemment,  dans  les  textes  du  Nouvel 

Empire   qu'a  publics    Naville,  une   orthographe       ^        3i ,    dans 

laquelle  un  signe  nouveau  vient  s'intercaler  entre  la  partie  phonetique 
et  le  determinatif  du  mot.  Cette  orthographe  est  meme  d'origine 
bien  plus  ancienne,  car  on  la  rencontre  souvent  sur  des  sarcophages 
de  la  XIP  dynastie.^-^  Ce  signe  nouveau  represente  bien  certaine- 
ment  la  queue  bifurquee,  si  particuliere,  de  I'animal  typhonien.  II 
est  meme  tres  vraisemblable,  etant  donne  le  gout  tres  prononce  des 
Egyptiens  pour  les   calembours  mythologiques,  qu'ils  ont  pu  voir 

dans  ^  quelque  chose  d'analogue  a  I  n.  J^'f^l  ^^'^v^'  "QU^ue 
de  I'animal  typhonien."  En  tout  cas,  cette  queue  bifurquee  leur  a 
paru  caracteriser  si  specialement  leur  dieu  S-t-sch  que,  dans  les 
memes  textes,  le  nom      ^       -J|   est  frequemment  reduit  a    Ljr , 

mot   qu'il  faut  bien    se   garder   de    transcrire    par  J-,  jJ4  .        Cette 


^■'  P.   Lacau,  dans  Annales  du  Service  des  AntiqiiittS,  t.  V,  pp.  23 1-1^45. 
J^  Ibid.,  pp.  231,  232,  234,  243,  244,  245. 

130 


May  9]  LE  DIEU  SETH  ET  LE  ROI  SETHOSIS.  [1906. 

queue  typhonienne  sert  siniplement,  par  I'intermediaire  du  jeu  de 
mot    I  N^  T^T^T  ^^  >f7^  >  ^  rendre  le  nom     ^     |  M. 

3. — Enfin,  une  tres  importante  question  se  pose,  relativement 
a  I'origine  du  dieu  Seth.  Les  Egyptiens  connaissent,  des  les  temps 
les  plus  anciens  de  leur  histoire,  puisqu'on  le  trouve  figure  sur  des 
objets  provenant  des  tombes  thinites  d'Abydos,  un  dieu  dont 
I'animal  sacre  est  un  levrier  d'un  genre  tout  special. ^-^  Ce  levrier  a  le 
museau  tres  allonge,  tres  fortement  courbe,  et  la  queue  terminee  par 
une  epaisse  touffe  de  polls.     Ce  dieu,  deja  ennemi  d'Horus  sous  la 

premiere  dynastie,  porte  dans  la  suite  le  nom  de     -^^    rJf  ^^     ^    rJf- 

Or,  bien  plus  tard,  les  Hyqsos,  puis  ensuite  les  Hittites,  intro- 
duisent  en  Egypte,  comme  divinite  nationale  de  leur  pays,  un  dieu 

qui  porte  exactement  le  meme  nom,    I    v\      Jjj  ,  et  qui   a  comme 

animal  sacre  le  meme  levrier  si  caracteristique. 

Peut-il  y  avoir  la  un  simple  effet  du  hasard  ?  Bien  certainement 
non.  Ou  bien  les  Hyqsos  et  les  Hittites  ont  emprunte,  Dieu  salt 
comment,  ce  dieu  aux  Egyptiens  et  Font  reintroduit  plus  tard  en 
Egypte;  ou  bien,  au  contraire,  ce  sont  eux  qui  I'ont  revele  aux 
Egyptiens  a  I'epoque  thinite,  et  qui  I'ont  ramene  avec  eux  chaque 
fois  qu'ils  ont  eu  I'occasion  de  rentrer  en  contact  avec  les  Egyptiens. 
Par  consequent,  ou  bien  Seth  est  un  vieux  dieu  egyptien  qui  eut  la 
bonne  fortune  de  plaire  a  des  etrangers  et  de  se  naturaliser  en  Asie ; 
ou  bien  Seth  est  un  vieux  dieu  asiatique  qui  s'acclimata  de  tres 
bonne  heure  en  Egypte,  lors  d'une  invasion,  et  qui,  sur  les  rives  du 
Nil,  resta  toujours  plus  ou  moins  le  dieu  ennemi. 

^■'  E.  Lefebure,  Uaniinal  typhouicii,  dans  Sphinx,  t.  II  (1898),  pp.  63-74. 
L'auteur  rassemble  dans  cet  interessant  travail  un  certain  nombre  de  documents 
demontrant  que  Tanimal  sethien  etait  un  cliien,  et  plus  specialement  un  levrier, 
opinion  que  Brugsch  avait  deja  emise,  sans  insister,  dans  son  Dicticnnaire 
hieroglyphiqite,  t.  IV  (186S),  p.  1422. 

^'°  II  semble  s'etre  appele  tout  d'abord  d'un  nom  d'animal,  comme  la  plupart 

des    divinites    primitives,     ^\     1    v\    1 ,    c'est-a-dire,    "  le  levrier"    (F.   Petrie, 
Royal  Tombs,  t.   II,   pi.  22,   no.    179),  mot  ecrit  plus  tard    \\\h\^  (Beni-Hassan), 


131 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV.  [1906. 

Comment  sortir  de  ce  dilemme  ?  Je  n'ai  trouve,  pour  ce  faire, 
qu'un  seul  et  unique  moyen  :  etudier  de  tres  pres  les  levriers 
d'Afrique  et  les  levriers  d'Asie,  et  voir  auquel  des  deux  groupes 
appartient  le  levrier  de  Seth.  C'est  la  une  etude  tres  compliquee, 
qu'on  ne  saurait  exposer  sans  de  nombreuses  citations  et  d'abondantes 
figures,  et  que  je  compte  publier  avant  qu'il  soit  longtemps.  Je  crois 
pourtant  interessant  d'en  donner  des  maintenant  la  conclusion. 
Le  levrier  sethien  n'est  ni  un  animal  egyptien,  ni  un  animal  africain. 
C'est  bien  indiscutablement  un  levrier  asiatique,  originaire  du 
Taurus  et  du  Caucase,  c'est-a-dire  precisement  des  regions  d'ou 
ont  pu  venir  les  Hyqsos  et  les  Hittites,  et  par  consequent,  tout 
comma  Horus,  Seth  est  en  Egypte  un  dieu  d'importation  etrangere. 

En  attendant  la  publication  du  travail  de  zoologie  mythologique 
que  je  prepare  sur  cette  question,  j'espere  avoir  au  moins  demontre, 

ce  qui  constitue  un  point  de  depart  important,  que  ^^ 


et    I   v\     ^   sont  un  seul  et  meme  nom,    s'appliquant  a   un   seul 


et  meme  dieu. 


132 


May  9]  .THE  IVRIZ  TEXTS.  [1906. 


THE    IVRIZ    TEXTS. 

THE    ARDISTAMA  INSCRIPTIONS. 
SOME  HITTITE  SEALS. 

By  Prof.  A.  H.  Savce,  D.D. 

Casts  of  the  Ivriz  texts  are  now  in  the  Ashmolean  Museuni, 
and  I  am  therefore  able  to  give  correct  copies  of  them  at 
last.  In  A  (Plate,  fig.  i)  the  only  important  correction  is  in  the 
last  line.  The  text  reads  :  (i)  wa-a  D^T.-Sandipi  kai-s  Ta-ua-s  kai-7ua 
(2)  Au-m-nu-a-si-s  a-tii  Ta-ba-la-u-  (3)  s-mx  Uan-hi-'DKr:.  (No.  16) 
-ta,  "This  Sandes  I  T(a)uas  making  have  made,  being  son  ot 
Aumenuas  (or  Aumgalas),  king  of  the  Tabal,  in  the  land  of  the 
Veneti."  It  is  possible  that,  after  all,  the  king's  name  should  be 
read,  not  Aumgalas,  but  Aumenuas,  an  adjectival  derivative,  like 
KarkamisiHas,  from  Omanos,  whom  Strabo  (XI,  511,  XV,  733) 
describes  as  a  Cappadocian  god  associated  with  Anaitis  or  Artemis. ^ 
For  Tauas  or  Tuas  "horseman,"  see  above. 

B  (Plate,  fig.  2)  is:  {i)%va-a  i-vsv-f/ies  Ajmh- [2)  nu-a-isi  abakali 
da{ii)  (3)  i-ji-is-ua,  "This  carving  ((^^^  erecting),  the  sculpture  of  the 
high-priest  the  son  of  Aumenuas  I  have  carved "  (or  "  erected "). 
The  last  line  shows  that  in  the  verb  the  ideograph  (No.  65)  was 
pronounced  usu.  Da  or  dii  or  dan  (No.  43,  which  is,  however,  not 
correctly  drawn)  represents  a  graving  tool  of  a  well-known  type,  not 
a  vase. 

The  whole  of  C  (Plate,  fig.  3)  can  be  deciphered  in  the  cast. 
It  reads:  wa4s-a  da-u-uas  i-vsvi-mes  is-su--ua  iD.-u-lHZ-naf-DET.-nd  id.- 
iiini-yik  Au-m-Jin-a-isi  a-isi-viu-ta  a-isi-?nd-iu  \_kai-'\s  atu-tu  kai-amma 
iinni,  "  These  sculptures  carving  {or  erecting)  I  have  carved  {or 
erected),  the  place  of  the  Sun-god  of  the  land  of  the  rock  of  .  .  ubana 
(?)  in  the  high-place  {or  food-place)  of  tlie  son  of  Aumenuas,  [makjing 

^  Omanos  would  be  itself  a  derivative  from  Aumes. 

-  Sii  as  on  my  seal,  Proceedings,  Nov.  1905,  p.  253.  The  older  form  of  the 
character  is  found  in  one  of  the  Carchemish  fragments  where  we  must  read 
uas-S-ti.  I  have  hitherto  confounded  it  with  the  basket  jii  (No.  19),  but  the 
handles  rise  on  both  sides  like  horns,  which  is  not  the  case  with  w. 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

this  high-place  {or  food-place)  of  the  king  and  the  monument  of  the 
god,"  or  perhaps  better,  "making  this  high-place  [or  food-place)  for 
the  king  as  a  monument  for  the  god."  For  the  determinative  of 
*'  rock,"  see  Ardistama,  I,  3.  Since  l\xu  was  in  the  district  of 
Kubis-tra,  the  Khubis-na  of  the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  while  the  leg 
has  sometimes  the  value  of  /-'/  (see  M.  II,  5),-^  it  is  tempting  to  make 
the  obliterated  character  is,  reading  the  foot  as  ku,  but  to  my  eyes 
the  traces  were  those  of  na  rather  than  is.  Aisii/ia  can  hardly  be 
anything  else  than  isi/iid  "  high-place  "  ;  on  the  other  hand  on  the 
bowl  (M.  I,  3)  "food-place"  seems  to  be  a-isi-ina-i-iia,  i.e.  aisi7niua. 
But  the  high-place  was  also  a  place  where  food  was  offered  and 
eaten  in  honour  of  the  gods  and  the  dead.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
Sandes  is  identified  with  the  Sun-god  of  the  rock;  the  Hittite  god  of 
a  locality  was  always  also  its  Sun-god. 

The    Ardistama  Inscriptions. 

Since  my  copies  of  these  were  published  in  the  Proceedings 
for  January,  1905,  I  have  been  able  to  study  enlarged  photographs 
of  them,  which  when  compared  with  the  squeezes  necessitate 
numerous  and  important  corrections  in  my  copies,  more  especially 
in  the  first  line  of  A. 

A,  line  i.  After  Ma-?ne-{/n)is  two  characters  are  lost,  then  comes 
a  bull's  head,  then  the  head  of  a  bull  on  a  pole.  IVa  is  more 
probably  the  numeral  i.  The  boot  after  al>u  a-ra  should  be  deleted; 
the  character  which  follows  na  is  probably  an  arm,  and  it  is  followed 
by  nan  not  amis.  After  ma  is  the  determinative  of  divinity,  Ara?n-u, 
nana  (the  tree),  nd,  and  a  lost  character.  The  double-headed  eagle 
does  not  exist :  after  amis  we  have  simply  a  bull's  head  followed  by 
me-nan.  The  head  on  a  pole  should  be  made  to  face  the  other  way; 
a  lost  character  w'hich  the  traces  show  to  have  been  amis  preceded 
it.  Hence  the  whole  line  should  read  :  Ma-me-{m)is  \_kai-s^  cm  i 
ID.  u{?)  kaisima  id.  abii  a-ra  amis  Jid-atu  (J)-uan-jnA  det.- A ram-u- 
Ua7ia-nd-\_uan\  \V).-amis  ama-me-na?t-.\'^n^  /cai-s  \TV  [/:ai-]isimd  [amis] 
DET .-Aram-me-n an  Ayns-mis-ia-amma  am-a  I'D.-md-md-iian,  "  Mames, 
the  maker  of  the  bull  of  the  bull-fetish  of  the  high-place  of  Aramis, 
the  royal  father  of  the  city  of  the  Naiians  (?),  belonging  to  Aramis- 
Uan  the  guardian  of  the  bull-city,  who  has  made  for  the  king  the 

•*  My  reading  of  balii  for  the  character  rests  on  an  error. 
134 


Proc.  Soi.  Bihl.  Arch.,  May,  1906. 


77^   «Ja     ajjo       o^a  "^'^ 


Fig.   I. 

IVKIZ.       A. 


i^oS         ^^s- 


o^oDi^o:7  (jhi  ^ 


/yi  ^       ^  Fig.    2. 


IVRIZ.       B. 


,  -D"  Vs  n  [h  czD^  ©„  °K°  '■^°  ""I*"  #  *p 


Fig.  3- 

IVRIZ.       C. 

THE    IVRIZ    TEXTS. 

(From  Casts  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum.) 


May  9]  THE  IVRIZ  TEXTS.  [1906. 

high-place  of  the  Aramis-fetish,  the  ...  of  the  city  of  Mamau" 
(perhaps  identical  with  the  city  of  Mamis).  With  the  corrected 
reading  the  translation  presents  no  difficulties. 

Line  2.  After  Ma-me-mis  read  [/('(ji/J-i-.  The  character  before  the 
ideograph  of  "king"  is  a.  Instead  of  the  head-fetish  we  should 
read  the  head  {ara)  and  ta ;  nu  and  ka-i  are  right.  Instead  of 
.  .  2iana  .  .  aram  .  .  ?/ie,  read  [det.]  aram-2i-[ua^m]-Ha-a  (?)  (or  /a). 
We  are  probably  intended  to  read  ara-nu-ta  ka-i-KAi-in-a-iian-ia:^ 

Line  4.     The  character  preceding  the  head  (ara)  is  tian. 

Line  5.  After  the  lacuna  read  ara-jiie-su  (the  knife)  instead  of 
ara-ara-me. 

In  B  line  i,  instead  of  uan-iiati-  .  .  -nd  read  kas-ii-uan-ua  ara 
(the  head).  The  next  three  characters  are  right ;  so  are  uan  and 
AMIS,  but  a  should  be  me. 

In  line  2,  na-m-a  is  right.  Delete  the  first  7na  in  the  name  of 
tlie  city  Ma-mau.  After  mCx-uan  amis  we  should  probably  read 
Ma-iue-T)Ki.-ni-uk  Khaita-tia-in-a  "the  city  of  IMames  in  the  land  of 
the  Hiltite." 

Line  3.  After  atu  we  have  atu  (No.  88)  and  isi,  which  are 
drawn  quite  differently  in  the  original. 

Line  4.  Kai-uas  is  right.  In  the  lacuna  after  kai-i-uas-s  the 
characters  are  katic  (the  seated  image  of  the  goddess)  and  the  deter- 
minative of  "  district." 

In  C  face  A,  line  i,  delete  the  cross.     After  ind  read  /  isi 

lias  kai-i-ntd-AUis,  the  determinative  of  divinity  and  nana  {?)-ua)i  (/)- 
fia  (.?). 

Line  2,  We  have  a  instead  of  a  circle  before  tid.  After  the 
determinative  of  god  is  the  human  head  on  a  pole,  a  lacuna,  and  then 
me-\i\-isi (?)-\ui'i.  This  is  of  course  Aramis-amineis  "king  of  the 
city,"  but  in  face  B  i,  3,  the  u  after  ara7ii  implies  that  we  should 
read  atu-aiiuiieis. 

Line  3.  In  the  lacuna  after  ani-a  is  an  arm.  The  head  at  the 
end  of  the  line  is  that  of  a  calf  (am). 

Line  4.     amis  is  right.     Insert  before  it  .  .  -me. 

■*  The  approximate  translation  of  the  line  would  accordingly  be:  "Mames 
who  has  [made]  the  high-place  of  the  king  {^anxin-^i)  in  the  high-place  of  Aramis 
in  building  style  {kaiviai(anda)  in  the  land  {a-aiiiina-ta)  of  the  sanctuary  of  the 
city  of  Aramu-Uan  {i.e.  Aram-Uan),  the  chief  minister  of  Siu  (Sawa)  and  Attys, 
dirk-bearer  of  Atu,  attached  to  the  queen  of  the  rock  (and)  to  the  goddess-image, 
the  kinoly." 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.ilOLOGY.  [1906. 

Line  5.  At  the  end  of  the  hne  is  tir{?)-a-ma  "shrine"  which 
was  probably  preceded  by  \^»^a-katlt^^ ;  cp.  A,  6. 

Face  B,  line  i.     Read  kas  instead  oi  me. 

Line  2.  The  line  begins  with  ua-s.  Nil.  is  right  and  is  followed 
by  Jias ;  cp.  A,  2.     The  first  nan  is  doubtful. 

Line  3.     After  kas-uan  is  amis  a-)ia. 

Line  4.  After  the  crown  read  na  instead  of  ua)i.  Delete  ma : 
"of  the  god  Uan  the  king  of  the  city  of  Siu,"  i.e.  of  the  god  of  the 
sacred  dance  (Siuwas). 

Line  5.  ^1  after  ?/an  is  doubtful,  and  uan  is  either  the  arm  or 
fid.     For  /.-ai  read  iias.     J/ should  be  the  arm  with  a  dagger/^ 

HiTTiTK  Seals. 

The  Ashmolean  Museum  has  acquired  some  more  Hittite 
seals.  Among  them  is  one  of  semi-globular  form,  of  white 
stone,  and  with  transverse  hole  :  upon  it  on  the  flat  surface  is  the 
figure  of  a  prince,  standing  and  extending  his  arms.  In  front  is 
written  the  name  Sandii-iian,  Sanduan,  of  similar  formation  to 
Kuaruwan  and  signifying  "belonging  to  Sandes."'  There  is  a  border 
of  rosettes.  On  the  concave  surface  is  Sandii-ana.  The  second 
character  here  is  the  arm  (id.  No.  2)  which  represents  both  ara-mis 
and  ana-mis.  On  either  side  of  the  name  is  a  sacred  stone,  the 
whole  being  enclosed  in  a  rope  pattern  outside  which  is  a  border  of 
rosettes  and  pyramids,  with  the  sacred  tree  at  the  top.  Sanduan 
would  correspond  with  the  Greek  "^avfwv.     Cp.  Tarkon. 

5  Notwithstanding  the  broken  condition  of  the  inscription  on  the  trough  what 
remains  of  it  is  worth  giving  : — 

A.  I  B. 

1.  ...  in  the  land  of  Siu  a  high-[place]    1    i.   .  .  .  [the  high-place]  of  the  city  of 

[I  have  erected?],  a  monument  of    |  Uan  Atu-ammeis  of  Kas  .  .  . 

the  god  Uan  ... 

2.  .  .  .  city  of  the  prince  of  the  city  of       2.  .  .  .  formerly,     the     high-place     of 

Aramis-ammeis,  of  Kas  .  .  .  Aramis  .  .  . 

3.  .  .  .  [ruling]  the  royal  land  (Arinna),       3.   .  .  .  guardian   of  the    city   of    Uan 

the  city  of  the  9  courts,  king  of  the    j  Atu-ammeis  of  Kas,  prince  .  .  . 

city  of  the  land  of  Kas,  prince  .  .  .    | 

4.  .  .  .  city  of  the  three  guardians  ...         4.   ...  the  crown  of  the  god  Uan  the 

king  of  the  city  of  Siu  .  .  . 

5.  .  .  .  [guardian]  of  the  city  of  Uan       5.   .  .  .  [ruling]   the  land   of  Kas,  the 

Atu-ammeis  of  Kas,  [king]  of  the  royal    land,    the   kingly   one,    the 

dance-[city]  (Siu),  guardian  ...  great. 

136 


May  9]  SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS.  [1906. 

Note. — An  examination  of  the  original  of  M.  XI  in  the  British 
Museum  has  made  it  clear  that  in  line   2   Mr.  Rylands  was  right  in 

the   form    which    he   gave    to    the    character   underneath 

(det.  17);  it  is  not  khat  and  occurs  again  at  the  end  of  the  line  in 
the  shape  of  two  rods  (?)  tied  together.  It  is  also  clear  that  the 
character    follows,    and    does    not   precede,    the   first  2ian.      Since 

ImJmSm  ^^^^  ^^^  phonetic  value  of  j/iii  attached  to  it  in  M.  Ill,  B.  2, 
we  must  read  :  Kar-ka-me-is-m-a-Y)'^!:  nm-iian  Kka-tii-a-uan-V)'ET  71a- 
iian-na  i-uas-i-nia  afii-xiv-in-a  siian-hi-n-?-md,  "this  high-place,  the 
temple  of  tn  .  .  of  brick,  belonging  to  the  Hittite  land  of  Carchemish," 
giving  the  new  character  the  value  of  kka.  The  name  of  the  city 
at  the  commencement  of  the  line  will  be  Kha-atu-me,  the  Khatuma 
of  the  Egyptian  texts.  In  line  4  the  character  which  follows  Tarkais 
is  uan,  not  na;  hence  the  line  should  be  translated  :  "making  the 
gate-place  of  this  priestly  land  here  for  the  god,  making  the  building 
{kai-amma)  of  the  temple  of  Tarkus  {siian-ainma  Tar-ka-is-uaii)  for 
the  dance  of  these  dancing  priests  in  this  city  as  before."  In  line  5 
instead  oi  ni-m-a  we  should  perhaps  read  Khatta-ui-a  "of  the  Hittite 
land." 


SOME    MUNICH    COPTIC    FRAGMENTS. 

I. 

By  E.  O.  Winstedt. 

In  the  Proceedings  of  this  Society,  XXV,  p.  267,  1903,  Mr.  Crum 
published  an  article  on  "  Coptic  Texts  relating  to  Dioscorus  of 
Alexandria,"  taken  from  Des  Rivieres'  papers  now  at  Munich.  As, 
however,  in  some  cases  he  omitted  to  print  the  Coptic  text,  I  think 
it  may  be  worth  while  to  supply  the  deficiencies,  adding  at  the  same 
time  one  or  two  more  fragments  which  would  seem  certainly  to 
come  from  the  same  text.  Mr.  Crum  did  not  appear  to  be  aware 
that  a  few  fragments  of  the  original  papyrus,  written  in  a  magnificent 

137  M 


JMAY   9] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCII.EOLOGV. 


[1906. 


uncial  of  early  date,  are  also  to  be  found  at  Munich  in  MS.  Copt.  2. 
For  example,  No.  XC^'I,  of  which  the  text  is  here  given,  as  Mr.  Crum 
only  gives  a  translation,  exists  in  MS.  as  well  as  in  the  copies;  and 
part  too  of  No.  XCV.  As  the  collection  seems  practically  unknown 
and  unworked,  I  add  fragments  of  a  few  other  texts  of  some  interest 
from  Des  Rivieres'  copies — part  of  the  martyrdoms  of  Ignatius  and  of 
Peter  and  Paul,  the  beginning  of  a  life  of  James  the  Persian,  part 
of  a  letter  of  Chrysostom  to  Basil,  and  a  few  ostraca.  Lamentably 
incomplete  as  they  are,  I  think  they  are  sufficient  to  show  that 
anyone  who  has  time  to  work  at  the  collection  might  glean  a  few 
fragments,  as  Coptic  texts  go,  comparatively  worth  gleaning. 
I  sive  first  the  Dioscorus  frasfments. 


Copt.  3,  No.  XCVI  ;  the  original  exists  in  Copt.  2.     The  top  of 
a  page  is  complete,  but  some  lines  are  lost  at  the  bottom  : — 


nAceBHcnonTA[qGni] 
CKonoti,  eepujUH  .... 
•I-Ai  I  Aeeu  ATiY^eu  I  ie[T] 

3:1  U  U  OOTKATA.XA  a[  V] 
IICUOT  •  HUeTTA^e 

oei:yiiAAAT,  iijyA:\:e,  eq 

'IOTBenAOrUAIHJ(3ll 

eioTe,  e-roTAAB,  giit[ot] 
TAveiievpAii  •  iif-ri 

l"ApOVBeiieTUU[AV] 


Verso. 
[uAT]iY;eoiJTeiiov,  11 

[to  V]  1 1 0 AO  C I IXA A  K  H 

Atoi  JTAiei  iTA(rrA\'e 
[(J)]vcicciiTf;,  e^ovll  • 
eriioTAUOTCOT'ntiii 
:vo6icicne\cLiiiiicA 
Til  I ITOVAI I  AT^Aa:e 
epoo  •  AvtO'lAiiAoe 

[llA]Tir,GII2tUBIIIUH 
[?Bll]veillUGIITAVripA  .  .  . 
>'OOV  .  . 


^  The  letters  in  square  brackets  with  dots  are  letters  found  in  Des  Rivieres' 
copies  with  dots  under  them,  and  not  now  visible  on  the  papyrus.  Des  Rivieres 
seems  to  have  used  dots  indifferently  for  uncertain  letters  and  letters  added  by 
conjecture. 

-  Verso,  1.  I,  [AIIAO(-UAT]l([.a  «  HI,  MS,  ;  HCI,  Des  R. 

•»  XOO'r  or  'I'OO'i',  Des  R.  Only  the  tops  of  letters  are  visible.  To 
me  they  look  more  like  XOT. 


May  9] 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


Copt.  3,  XCVII :— 

T(;,  6T2ATri[OAICeTU] 

[iiAJvlconuuocxe  .  .  . 

.  .  .  AT  A  AC,  -re  •  TAIO 

MeiieioTe,  gtg  .... 

n:^ lAio  •  •  iie[iiiCKo] 

noceiJTATGa)OT[eei  iTno] 
AlC,  IITUIJTe  ....  1,6  ..  . 
ULIOC  •  eAiienTA[Gto] 
ore,  6ec|)6coc,  ta:^'p[hv] 

UeOTO  •  IIA!eilTA[KA] 

eAipoTLinAceBHC,  lie 

CTOpiOC,   UlllieilTA'i*  . 

ueere,  euRTqueeve 

epOOV  •  HIIGTU  .... 

ON,  Tenor : 

BTBenAIKATAOe     IITAq 

2i:ooc2ii[n]ec2Ai[riAnoc] 

TOAIKOII  .... 


Verso. 

ne,  HKApoj  .... 

eneiAHAe,  ATgrnou 

.  ,   KATAOe,  eilTAICtOTU  . 

AT^TprpiiAorio  . 

AIIIOTTeilTeTII  .  . 

AiieiA  •  eATeTiiii  . 

.  .  .  .  e:seAiiexe,  eAi^^to. 

.  .  .  .   IIIAAAVIietOBIIBp 

pe^iBee^oTii,  eTni 

OTIC,   nopOOAOTOG  •  6 

TBenAH-ovu)^^j,  eTpe 
TeTiieiue:\:e?iTiiiie 

TII^AH.V'eTOVAAB,   KAII 

.  .  3»:oAiirovptOLieii 

peqpilOBG  •  AAAA20II0 

AoriAinniGTiG,  ex 

AUA2TeUUOG 

uTiTexA  .... 


I  add  here  a  fragment  in  the  same  writing  which  seems  to  be 
connected  with  the  same  subject,  though  I  can  find  no  parallel 
passage  in  the  Bohairic  and   Syriac  texts.      Both  the  original  and 


^  Recto,  1.  6,  CtoJetO,  Des  R.     7,  AIG  or  AIG  and  Be  or  BO,  Des  R. 
9,  Des  Rivieres   TAAp  .  .  .  ,  but  A  might  easily  be  confused  with  3:.      L.  16, 
IITAC)]  possibly  61  ITAq.     Des  Rivieres' copy  is  blurred. 

•*  Verso,  1.  4,  ?  AOriGLIOG. 

139  M    2 


May  9] 


SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY. 


[1906. 


Des  Rivieres'  copy  exist,  but  I  unfortunately  omitted  to  note  the 
number  : — 


Verso. 


pU6 


enejy.Mi.v  •  A(|ov(;e 
(;A2iieeTpev^.\H.\' 

THpOT,   IIUUAq  •   IITO 

povovcoAe,  e'l'^'^j.Mi.v 
rice:xtoun2Aunii  • 
THpove[io]vr.ori  •  At) 
[ovtuiiJupaxi'iKFiniiioo^ 
[riAri]oc(rriiuAV,  Aq 
W^^}  rreqcu  h  u  ri  nv 
[LiTo]eBOATnpov,  oq 
[3:tou]iioc3:enA'eioT6 
[eTovjAAii  •  iiova):^ 
[uniiJoTTene,  e-rpeii 
njTouociiAecoii 

IIOTAT 
e]BOA2llll 
OUIITII 


pus- 


eniiovTtjnuoiiore 
iiHcnAorocrie\ceq 
nto^y,  iiuoqec|)Vcic 

CUTeUIIIICATIIHT 
OVAIIAT^AAOOpOO  • 

AA.\AIIOTO(3I^IIIUG 

T6TIIATAT6n 

AxiC3:eAiiAGe[uAeTCTii] 
eoAooei  iTACto[o'r?] 

eilXAAKHACJUII 

Al  IA0eUAeTCT[ll20A0C] 

IIAnOCTATHC 

AiJAeeuAenTo[uocu] 

[A(3]tJUIinAC6BHC 
AGTBO 

iiAeiier 
Tiiioirrefi 


LIOC  .  AOn[TOIIOG]  '    [TiinTo]vAniATnoo[iie] 


[ll.\(3]tOlinACeBMC 

AV(:piiqptu? 
AnpoovAoun 

(';  •   llll.VAAV,   II 
A()I"I|[a] 

u 


eiorcujTue 
ciouiiiiTei 

III 


140 


May  9] 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


The  following  fragments  in  the  same  handwriting  seem  to  belong 
here,  though  they  are  too  small  and  indistinct  to  translate. 


Copt.  2,  132''  =  Copt.  3,  XCV  :— 

ULIIIIULIU 

niCTiGAe,  LI 

TeTc|)VCIC 

eetocuc 
vercju 

TAIW 


and 


eciiiioeiu 

ATUJnAnOC[TOAOC] 

nwoTTeo 


^pm^ 


-"^\ 


IIK(3AAAT 
nCMTAtJUj^^ 

pA-|-K2l2C^|^ 

OToei^ 

IJITI 

ocni 

ULIOqATUJ 
[All]AGeUATIt,e 

ue^cxjne 
iiiogioue 


Lastly,  Copt.  3,  XCII,  which  Crum  infers  to  be  the  end  : — 
unH  .... 
pocii^ri .  .  .  [ee] 

OniCTOGnAl[AKO] 

NOG,  eiiTAqe  .  .  . 
.  .  .  eiiTneiJT 


.  .  .  .  ttpOllOG 
. T. AVTAUOI 

enuoTunAceBHC 
eeovouApKiAiioc 
giua'gato 


A  small  part  of  this  fragment  still  exists  in  Copt.  2. 


Translation. 

XCVII. — ".  .  who  were  at  (that  city?).     I  count  it 

The  bishops   who  assembled  in  the  city  of Those  who 

assembled   at    Ephesus   were   far   firmer,    they  who  destroyed    the 

141 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILEOLOGY.  [1906. 

unrighteous  Nestorius  and  those  that  thought  his  thoughts  or  ...  . 
again  now.     For  this  reason  even  as  he  said  in  the  apostoHc  writing 


Verso. — " .  .  But  since  they  remember  (?)  according  as  I  heard .  .  . 

they  trembled stand  fast.     I  (admitted?)  no  new  change 

in  the  orthodox  faith.  For  this  reason  I  wish  that  ye  know  through 
your  holy  prayers,  even  if  ...  I  am  a  sinner,  yet  the  confession  of 
the  faith,  which  ....  grasps  it  ...  " 


P.  pLie. — ".  .  to  the  prayer.  He  commanded  them  all  to  pray 
with  him.  When  they  had  finished  praying  and  all  said  'Amen' 
together,  that  great  (saint  opened?)  his  mouth  and  (lifted  up)  his 
voice  in  their  (presence)  saying :  '  Holy  fathers,  this  is  the  will  of 

God,  that  we  .  .  .  the  book  of  Leon the  (book)  of  Leon 

the  unrighteous ' '"' 

Verso. — "  God  the  only-begotten,  the  word,  Christ,  he  divided 
him  into  two  natures  after  the  ineffable  unity.     But  at  all  times  we 

will  teach Say  '  Anathema  on  the  Synod  which  assembled  in 

Chalcedon,  anathema  on  the  apostate  Synod,  anathema  on  the  book 
of  Leon  the  unrighteous '" 

Nos.  XCVI  and  XCH  are  translated  by  Crum  :  XCV  is  too 
small  to  be  worth  attempting  a  translation. 


142 


May  9]     HIMYARITIC  INSCRIPTION  FROM  JABAL  JEHAF.         [1906. 

THE  HIMYARITIC  INSCRIPTION  FROM  JABAL  JEHAF. 

By  Prof.  D.  H.  Muller. 

I  have  been  repeatedly  asked  by  Mr.  F.  Legge  to  write  an  article 
on  the  inscription  discovered  by  Lieut.  G.  U.  Yule,  and  published 
in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Society  of  Biblical  Archaeology,  XXYII, 

P-  153-155,  1905- 

Various  hindrances  have  hitherto  prevented  me  from  accom- 
plishing Mr.  Legge's  wish,  but  since  he  has  lately  repeated  his 
request,  I  can  no  longer  forbear  complying  with  it. 

Lieut.  Yule  gives  a  short  description  of  the  locality,  with  a 
summarized  map,  a  not  particularly  satisfactory  photograph  of  the 
inscription,  and  an  excellent  facsimile  of  the  same.  I  here  give  the 
inscription  in  Sabsean  and  Hebrew  letters,  exactly  following  the 
facsimile,  as  follows  :— 

I         hl1®ElIllX)8  ^<l'?^Baln-ln 

h)4'H     oX)n  pm_:rnia 

3  I'll'BVHIi'Vllin®  i2Tm   I   ■in'733T 

4  )hg?HI?hnih)if  ^Nn^^l-^l]■^^ 

5  hEDT'ilMhnnXS  la^n^lpii^* 

6  hnih)D]rHihHihn    ^^''ripBDiiTip 

7  no®ix?hn<»iii    ^=^  I  '-^^^^i  I  a 

8     Iim<D,i,l®V)nFi      a  I  po  I  iniats 

Those  who  have  hitherto  occupied  themselves  with  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  inscription  are  : — 

1.  Hartwig  Derenbourg,  in  the  Boletin  de  la  Real  Academia 
de  la  Historia,  at  Madrid  (July-September,  1905). 

2.  Joseph  Halevy,  in  the  Revue  Semitiqtte,  1905,  p.  368-371. 

3.  Eduard  Glaser,  in  a  special  publication,  "Suwa'  und  al-'Uzza 
und  die  Altjemenischen  Inschriften,"  p.  3-17. 

Dr.  Glaser,  as  he  announced,  had  already  copied  this  inscription 
on  the  24th  August,  1888,  but  only  now,  since  the  publication  of 
Lieut.  Yule's,  has  he  made  his  copy  and  his  commentary  public. 

143 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGV.  [1906. 

On  comparing  the  Glaser  transcription  with  Yule's  facsimile  they 
are  seen  to  agree  quite  covipletely^  even  to  the  reading  of  ln"^2,L2  (for 
in"l2^)?  ^s  a  comparison  of  the  ^  in  O  y  ~1  A  fl  ®  ^s\\.\v  the  f^ 
in  <D  V  )  n  fl  ^'^'^^'  demonstrates.  The  English  copy  accordingly 
rejects  no  single  point  of  the  Glaser  transcription.  Therefore  where 
the  readings  of  Derenbourg  and  Halevy  differ  from  the  concordant 
readings  of  Glaser  and  Yule,  they  are  simply  not  to  be  regarded. 
Derenbourg  is  certainly  wrong  in  wishing  to  correct  a  stone 
inscription,  and  all  his  attempts  to  alter  the  reading  have  failed  in 
consequence.  As  to  the  meaning  of  the  inscription,  in  spite  of  the 
three  commentaries,  it  still  remains  doubtful.     The  difficulty  lies  in 

the  obscurity  of  the  two  words  7^t5^  |  Xy^TS  of  the  first  line,  which 
Halevy  treats  as  a  proper  name,  Glaser,  on  the  other  hand,  as 
appellatives ;  further,  in  the  meaning  of  the  word  "^22  (preceding 
n^^n'^l),  which  Halevy  takes  to  be  a  verb  ("he  built"),  Glaser  a 

substantive,  "  the  sons."  Also  with  reference  to  the  word  ri^I21; 
Halevy  and  Glaser  are  of  a  different  opinion.  The  first  considers  it 
a  verb  ("and  here  built"),  and  the  last  named  an  appellative.  I 
give  Glaser's  translation,  and  subjoin  Halevy's  in  a  note,  so  far  as 
his  reading  can  be  relied  upon. 

1.  The  territory  of  the  district  of  A- 

2.  biratta'  of  Hirran 

3.  and  of  his  people,  the  lords  of  the  lowlands 

4.  of  Hirran,  the  followers  of  Z'u-Ye/ar, 

5.  the  Rabibites,  the  Hayyatites  (extends) 

6.  from  this  Inscription  to  the  North  point 

7.  and  the  branches  and  the  defile  (breach) 

8.  of  its  (of  the  district)  borders  S.^\^X.  el-ma- 
g.  srik  (towards  the  East)  ^ 

^  Glaser   gives   also   a   synonymous   interpretation  of  the  individual  phrases, 
which  I  have  left  out.     Halevy's  translation  reads  : — 

1.  ntMtwlA 

2.  brata'  de  Harran 

3.  ainsi  que  ses  Bakil  de  Hwm  et 

4.  Harran  a  construit  (le  fort  nomme)  Z'u-yal'ar 

5.  Arbaban  Ahyatan 

0.  depuis  cette  stele  au  nord 

7 a  construit  le  s-vn  oriental. 

144 


Proi.  Soc.  Bihl.  Arc/:.,  May,  1906. 


May  9]       HIMYARITIC  INSCRIPTION  FROM  JABAL  JEHAF.         [1906. 

Line  i.     Glaser  has  guessed  the  meaning  of  the  first  two  words 

71t2!D  I  Pr\r\  ^nd  though  they  are  not  guessed  without  some 
ingenuity  the  solution  cannot  be  rehed  on  with  any  certainty. 
Further,  he  has  put  the  etymologically  correct  and  incorrect  side 
by  side. 

The  word  rvyr\  ™3^y  very  hlcely  spring  from  "^ni  and  certainly 
originates  therefrom  in  Glaser  379,  3,  inn'iri  I  ^V  I  in?2''"lD  I  ]1 
as,  since  in  a  similar  place  DHmZD  appears,  Mordtmann  and 
MiJLLER,  Sab.  Denkmaler,  31,  4,  iny^lCn  I  IV  I  DnrnQ  1  ]1, 
*' from  the  foundation  to  the  roof."  But  niil  cannot  possibly  be 
connected  with  the  Assyrian  sitrni,  siirratu  and  the  Aram.  ^?ri1"^"'"ll^  j 
because  phonetic  laws  are  opposed  to  it. 

In  the  same  way  7lt:3^  must  not  be  compared  with  Arab.  L!.J 
The  meaning  of  "  the  extent  of  the  district,"  or  such  like  expression, 
is  consequently  most  uncertain  ;  but  considering  the  obscurity  of  the 
inscription  I  think  this  hypothesis  preliminarily  in  the  mean  time 
permissible.       But    much   more   probable,    because   etymologically 

confirmed,  is  the  rendering  of  jnijl  ^s  "foundation";  what  meaning 
711^72  has  in  this  connection  (supposing  it  to  be  an  appellative)  I 
dare  not  even  venture  to  conjecture. 

Line  2.  I  read  with  Halevy,  Abrata',  not  Abiratta'  (Glaser). 
Hirran  is  noin.  loci;  "the  village  near  the  N.N.W,  of  the  inscription 
is  to-day  still  called  Di-Hirran  "  (Glaser). 

Line  3.  inS^n,  Halevy,  "and  his  bakil" ;  Glaser,  "and  of  his 
people "  (tribe).  According  to  Hamdani  J.jX.'  means  much  the 
same  as  •«_^.?^   or  «_,<^^p-  multitude,   people.      He  says   in    Iklil ; 

•«_«>.sri.!l  wVi..s^^!>t  Jl-CCOL  Glaser  explains  l^ini  as  lowlands 
(perhaps  ^L^c^.i'  ),  which  is  very  possible.  Nevertheless  Halevy's 
reading  (which  had  also  occurred  to  Glaser)  V'\TV\  i  Din7  is  on  no 
account  to  be  set  aside.     Perhaps  both  these  words  form  a  parallel 

to  at:nni  I  mvj  =  I^U^.  jI- 

Lines  4  and  5.  The  Beni  Ya/'ar,  the  Rabibites,  the  Hayitites 
(Glaser)  appear  to  me  to  be  correct. 

145 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Line  6.  "From  this  inscription  to  tlie  North"  (Glaser  and 
Halevy)  is  fairly  certain. 

Lines  7-9.  The  words  "jpn^l*^  I  jID  !  IHI^^  !  :i21  I  n^:i*l  are 
very  difficult.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  have  no  connection 
with  the  preceding  □^^*^7,  but  begin  another  sentence:  "And  the 
building  (LCkj)  and  the  defile  of  his  (of  the  7113^^)  Zil?r,  S7vn  of 
the  east "  (or  according  to  Glaser,  towards  the  east). 

Li  order  to  have  an  idea  of  the  purport  of  the  inscription  we 
must  here  repeat  the  short  description  of  the  locality  given  by  Lieut. 
Yule  in  its  important  points  : — 

"From  the  Dthala  plateau  the  mountain  mass  of  Jabal  Jehaf 
rises  abruptly  some  2,500  feet;  one  of  the  north-eastern  spurs  of  this 
mountain  terminates  in  three  small  peaks,  which  are  easily  identified 
by  a  white  mosque  half-way  down  the  slope,  which  forms  a  conspicuous 
landmark.  Cut  on  the  side  of  a  cliff.,  on  the  north  side  of  the  centre 
of  one    of  these   peaks,  I    found  the  Himyaritic  inscription  here 

shown There  are  traces    of  an  old  road  to  the  top  of 

this  spur,  with  the  foundation  stones  of  one  or  two  buildings,  not 
sufficient  to  show  what  sort  of  dwellings  they  were.  About  four 
miles  off  is  an  old  zigzag  road  up  the  Khurcba  Pass,  which  is  said 
to  be  Himyaritic." 

From  this  description  it  follows  that  our  inscription  deals  with 
the  road  cut  through  the  mountain,  and  also  makes  reference  to  the 
building  sites. 

Very  important  is  the  word  ">3,lD;  upon  which  Glaser  has  brought 
forward    what    was    necessary  out    of   the  dictionaries ;    but    he  is 

certainly  not  right  in  connecting  it  with  the  Hebrew  word  "^2,1, 
"passage  for  cattle,"  etc.  This  comparison  must  be  rejected  for 
phonetic  and  essential  reasons. 

While  Glaser  in  his  most  recent  publication  draws  from  Hamdani 
both  what  is  suitable  and  unsuitable,  and  plays  fast  and  loose  with 
Hamdani's  text,  two  places  in  the  Gazirat  ■xi\di  the  IkUl  have  escaped 
him  which  appear  of  some  importance  to  our  rock  inscription. 

The  quotation  in  IkUl  (Burgen  and  Schlosser,  I,  S.  8  and  26  [320 
and  378]),  reads  :  — 

The  founder  ^.^'i^\  w?' j.'<^,)  of  (jhomdan  is  Sheni,  the  son  of  Noah. 
He   has  begun  the  building  and  dug   the  well   which   still   serves 

146 


May  9]       HIMYARITIC  INSCRIPTION  FROM  JABAL  JEHAF.         [1906. 

as  the  drinking  well  of  the  Mosque  of  San'a.  After  Noah's  death 
the  inhabited  portion  of  the  northern  districts  (jU-^lSl  ^^  S)  had 
become  desert,  and  Sheiii  went  south,  exploring  the  countries,  until 
he  came  to  the  first  zone,  and  there  found  Yemen  particularly 
adaptable  for  human  dwelling  places.  After  a  long  time,  while 
he  was  roving  through  Yemen,  he  found  in  the  plains  of  San'a 
most  excellent  water.    There  he  laid  his  hvaX^xwg-ineasure  (Lu^Sl  .Ji..) 

and  afterwards  built  on  the  place  oi  the  foundations  {iuj\^l}\  ■%-^%a..') 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mountain  pass  of  Ghomdan 
(^^\\Sas.     i  ^->j:%y^)  west  of    the  San'a   plain,  the  angular  column 

(  _xli!l)  which  is  still  known  in  San'a  (or  as  San'a). 

After  the  building  was  erected  God  sent  a  bird  which  seized  the 
cord  and  ilew  off  with  it.  Shem  followed  him  to  see  where  he  would 
stop.  The  bird  stopped  on  the  hard  ground  of  Na'im,  on  the  slope 
of  the  mountain  Nuqum.  After  Shem  had  followed  him  there,  the 
bird  flew  farther,  and  dropped  the  cord  on  the  stony  ground  (i.s^) 
of  Ghomdan,  where  it  remained  lying.  Shem  knew  that  he  was 
commanded  to  found  a  castle  here,  and  he  founded  Ghomdan. - 

c'J^Xc    -.-J,    dJM     -'10     .jl^   ,.,j;    *Ua-^    A^.i     .iJ.Ai    JjkJ 


O'  >      V 


^^     ..<^\\^    s^^X^   ^:^\    ^^y.    J^    ^\j^\    c'o   ^,JoL;    ^-S\\    \:^\ 

.  .  .  .  A1k.k\\  ^j^^  J-s^-^  ^j=-  ^^j  c^'^yi:!  ^-^  ^^*^  ^'<  ^-ri.J 

.j\  Jib  ,A  Aaa^  ,  ,i  :\^\  Uii  .j.^^\\ .  ,1x3 

The  whole  situation  of  San'a  and  Ghomdan  forcibly  recalls  Lieut. 
Yule's  description  of  the  locality. 

Looking  at  the  passage  and  taking  note  of  the  overlined  Arabic 
words,  one  finds  in  this  account : — 

1.  The  word  "foundation "(j^.^Ij'i  and  ij^[J\), 

2.  The  word  "north"  (JUaH)- 

3.  The  word  "  pegging-out  cord  "  (k^.^.!!)- 

'■*  The   passage    in    Gazirat  (p.  195)  has    the  same    rendering,    but    the  word 


iil  1   is  explained  somewhat  more  in  detail 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

4.  The  word  "mountain  pass  "  (^-)- 

5.  It  speaks  of  ^\  ,  which  appears  to  denote  a  building. 
Hamdani  himself  does  not  seem  to  have  known  the  precise  meaning 
of  the  word. 

6.  The  "  stony  ground  "  (f.^)  is  also  mentioned. 

As  we  know  that  the  old  Yemenite  archaeologists  often  got 
their  knowledge  from  inscriptions  which  they  in  part  misinterpreted/' 
I  think  it  not  at  all  impossible  that  the  narrative  in  the  //&///, 
which  is  very  ancient  (  -lio  ..-'^  ^),  was  constructed  from  our 
inscription,  but,  from  local  patriotism,  was  made  to  refer  to  those  two 
renowned  places,  San'a  and  Ghomdan. 

Foundation  {j^J^\)    can  derive    from    our  niH ,     and     'jL^y>- 
may  be  from  our  p"in^5 .       The  equivalent  of  C^b^C^  is  J'^^^j^ll  , 
i   and   _\Lr    are    taken    from    yr^    and    "^^IJ ,    and   S'~r».  can   be 
connected  with  *r\r^- 

A  mere  accidental  clashing  of  locality  and  of  the  same  expressions 
used  seems  to  me  to  be  excluded.  If  a  present  day  Him)arist  can 
mis-read  O0|^  foi'  'n®!^)  one  may  venture  to  believe  that  an 
old  Yemenite  archaeologist  has,  bona  or  mala  fide,  read  ^|^  for 
^©n  in  order  to  bring  the  old  inscription  into  connection  with 
the  Bible  and  the  Koran,  to  prove  a  primitive  foundation  for  vSan'a 
and  Ghomdan. 

The  history  of  our  little  text  shows  us  that  knowledge  is  not 
confined  to  any  one  individual,  and  that  "  four  heads  are  better  than 
one." 

"  Compare  my  Siidarab.  Studien,  pp.  15-34,  and  Sab..  Denkiit.,  p.  66. 


148 


May  9]  THE  'THRONE  OF  XIMROD.  [1906. 


THE    'THRONE    OF   NIMROD.' 
By  Prof.  F.  C.  Burkitt,  J/.A. 

Some  months  ago  I  came  into  correspondence  with  ]\Ir.  J.  G. 
Shammass,  a  Protestant  Missionary  in  Urfa,  the  ancient  Edessa. 
I  asked  him,  if  possible,  to  get  me  a  photograph  of  the  ancient 
inscription  on  one  of  the  two  great  Columns  in  the  Citadel, 
which  are  locally  known  as  the  Throne  of  Nimrod.  This  i\Ir. 
Shammass  succeeded  in  doing.  He  sent  me  last  March  a  fair 
photograph  of  the  Inscription,  which  is  here  reproduced  (Plate  I), 
together  with  a  photograph  of  the  jNIosaics  in  the  recently  discoYered 
Tomb.  As  these  ancient  monuments  were  very  little  known  in 
England,  I  had  intended  10  publish  them  in  the  F.S.B.A.,  but  in 
the  interval  has  appeared  Dr.  Rendel  Harris's  book  on  T/ie  Cult  of 
the  Heavenly  Ttcins  (Cambridge,  1906),  which  contains  a  discussion 
of  the  Column  Inscription  and  of  the  Mosaic,  together  with  photo- 
graphic reproductions  of  them.  This  publication  has  naturally 
altered  the  form  of  what  I  have  to  say.  Dr.  Harris's  pictures  seem 
to  be  derived  from  the  same  negatives  as  the  photographs  sent  me 
by  Mr.  Shammass.  His  reproduction  of  the  Mosaic  {Harris,  Plate  IV) 
is  very  good,  and  it  seemed  unnecessary  to  give  a  representation 
of  it  here,  especially  as  we  agree  in  the  decipherment  of  the  funeral 
inscription  except  in  the  matter  of  the  name  of  the  maker  of  the 
Tomb.  But  the  Column  Inscription  {Harris,  Plate  III)  is  not  so 
well  executed,  and  we  differ  more  seriously  in  the  decipherment. 
Dr.  Harris's  half-tone  block  has  been  touched  by  the  engraver  to 
bring  out  the  lettering.  This  is  a  usual  practice  among  block- 
producers  ;  in  view  therefore  of  the  importance  of  the  Inscription,  I 
give  here  (i)  an  entirely  untouched  reproduction  of  the  sun-print 
sent  me  by  IMr.  Shammass,  and  (2)  my  own  retouching  of  this 
reproduction,  which  shews  what  I  think  I  see  on  the  photograph. 
These  difficulties  are  inevitable  in  photographs  of  incised  inscrip- 
tions, for  they  are  mainly  visible  by  the  shadows  in  the  grooves ; 
and  if  the  shadow  falls  so  as  to  make,  say,  the  horizontal  lines  of 

149 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  IJIBLICAL  ARCH.^OLOGV.  [1906. 

the  letters  fully  defined,  it  will  generally  happen  that  the  vertical 
lines  shew  very  little  shadow  and  become  almost  invisible. 

The  Column  Inscription  was  first  made  known  by  Badger 
{Nes/oriafis,  i  323)  ;  a  very  much  better  attempt  at  decipherment 
was  made  by  Sachau,  and  published  by  him  in  Z.D.M.G.  xxxvi 
153-157,  but  of  course  Dr.  Harris's  transcription  (Tj^'/Vw,  p.  iii) 
supersedes  the  earlier  publications. 

The  colossal  pillar  on  which  the  Inscription  is  traced  is  built 
up  of  27  pairs  of  semicircular  stones  and  crowned  with  a  Corinthian 
capital,  the  whole  being  about  50  feet  high.  On  the  seventh  and 
eighth  courses  the  inscription  is  cut,  and  below  it,  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  reproduction,  "a  large  piece  of  the  column  has,  with 
considerable  skill,  been  cut  out,  and  the  triumphant  '  No  God  but 
God '  has  been  written  below  the  erasure  .  .  .  Where  the  stone 
has  been  cut  away,  there  must  have  been  something  in  the  inscrip- 
tion or  an  objectionable  carving  which  provoked  the  hostility  of  the 
Moslems"  {Harris,  p.  107).  No  doubt  it  was  the  'Statue'  mentioned 
in  the  Syriac  inscription,  which  was  probably  a  figure  in  high  relief, 
like  so  many  of  the  Palmyrene  funeral  monuments. 

The  Cufic  Inscription  runs,  according  to  Sachau, 

(The  overiined  letters  are  very  uncertain.) 

The  last  line  implies  that  the  defacement  took  place  in  the  year 
308  A.H.,  i.e.,  920  A.D.,  but  though  I  can  identify  ^A^  'eight,'  and 
il'Lc  'hundred,'  together  with  the  'and'  between  the  numbers,  I 
confess  that  I  do  not  see  in  the  photograph  the  letters  j^lj ,  i.e., 
1^  ^) j ,  which  makes  300  instead  of  100.  Is  it  possible  that  the 
defacement  took  place  in  108  a.h.,  i.e.  727  a.d.  ?  Of  course  it  is 
unlikely  that  Dr.  Sachau  was  wrong,  and  it  may  be  that  it  is  mere 
accident  that  the  letters  are  illegible  in  the  photograph.  At  the 
same  time,  we  may  notice  that  108  a.h.  is  a  very  likely  date  for  the 
defacement  of  the  monument  to  have  taken  j)lace.  M.  Duval,  in 
his  excellent  History  of  Edessa  (p.  255),  points  out  that  until  the 

150 


May  9] 


THE  'THRONE  OF  NIMKOD.' 


[1906. 


time  of  the  Caliph  Abd-el-Malik,  who  died  in  705  a.d.,  the 
governors  of  the  conquered  provinces  liad  been  Christians.  From 
this  epoch  the  new  era  of  direct  and  often  fanatical  Moslem  rule  has 
continued  till  the  present  day. 

I  read  the  Syriac  inscription  thus  : — 


i_s CO 

re: ^i\_irr 


Collation  with  Dr.  Harris's  Transcription  {T?vi/is,  p.  iii). 

1.  rc:juoi>_£krs']  (T;;-,  rcTj-ioixAps'  (/;C^.)  ;     rcjao ahsSk.rf   Ham's. 

2.  .  .  .  evj]  evA   Ham's.  3 va  Nam's. 

5.    tr:\j"iTf^o  Harris.  7.    ptrj3-.i\-A]  rc:.=>  +  +  +  s^  Harr/s. 

8.   i^iorr]   it  Art*  Ham's. 

Translat'wn. 

I,  Aphtoha 

N ,  son  of 

Barsh[emash,]  have  made 
this  column 
5  and  the  statue  that  is  on  it 

for  Shalmath  the  Queen,  daughter  of 
Ma'nu  the  Viceroy, 

wife  of , 

my  Lady. 

This  inscription  raises  questions  which  may  be  grouped  under 
the  heads  of  Palaeography,  Grammar,  and  Interpretation. 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILL'.OLOGY.  [1906. 

Palaography. 

The  character  is  a  type  of  Estrangela,  sensibly  earlier  than 
that  of  our  earliest  MSS.,  though  not  quite  so  archaic  as  the 
inscription  of  Amassamse  at  Deir  Ja'kub,  published  by  Sachau 
(Z.D.M.G.  xxxvi  145),  or  the  coins  of  Wa'el,  which  must  be  dated 
163-165  A.D.  The  style  of  the  coins,  however,  may  be  simply 
archaic,  and  so  may  furnish  no  clue  to  the  date  of  this  inscription. 
All  the  letters  are  represented,  except  f  and  p,  if  my  reading  of 
line  I  be  correct.  As  in  almost  all  ancient  Syriac  writing  D  (*)  is 
not  joined  to  the  following  letter.  This  is  the  case  in  the  inscription 
with  ^  (\,)  ''ind  "^  (x_)  also,  and  what  is  more  curious,  this  is 
also  the  case  v/ith  3,  ( .= ).  It  also  appears  that  ]l  (  ^  ),  H  ( «" ), 
and  1  (  o )  do  not  allow  of  a  ligature  with  the  preceding  as  well  as 
with  the  following  letter,  but  to  this  the  i>-a  in  the  first  line  forms 
an  exception.  It  is  worth  notice  that  the  first  rc  in  pcrjuniuarf 
(line  i)  cuts  through  the  division  between  the  stones.  On  palseo- 
graphical  grounds  we  could  not  place  the  inscription  later  than  the 
3rd  century  a.d.,  and  it  is  probably  much  earlier.  The  tall  .a  in 
line  6  is  particularly  ancient  in  style. 

Grammar. 

^^10^"^"!^^  is  to  be  vocalised  adriatta.  This  word  is  an  adaptation 
of  oj'fpiai'Ta,  which  is  found  elsewhere  in  Syriac,  e.g.  2  Chron.  xiv  3. 
The  phrase  ca o  -m .^  1  «m  Tr:\^j'f.ir!'i  rBrjo^jcDrs*  'the  column  of  the 
statue  of  Philip,'  actually  occurs  in  Budge's  A/exander,  60".  In  this 
inscription  the  n  has  been  assimilated  before  the  /,  just  as  U/t^tl^Ji^^^ 
is  read  for  XI^^tL''  H^h^  i"  the  inscription  at  Deir  Ja'kub. 

The  word  following  h^I^'^'^Tt^  is  n-?^;/^^"!,  ^s  is  now  acknow- 
ledged by  Dr.  Harris,  though  he  differs  as  to  the  interpretation  of 
these  letters.  I  understand  H^^  v'i^l  to  mean,  '  which  is  upon 
it,'  I.e.  the  statue  which  occupied  the  niche  on  the  face  of  the 
column.  The  compound  preposition  ^-_»a  JL-^  is  given  by  Noldeke 
(Gra?/i.,  §  156,  end),  but  it  is  said  to  be  rarely  met  with.  This  is, 
of  course,  just  the  kind  of  point  in  which  we  might  expect  the 
language  of  the  Inscription  to  differ  from  the  literary  practice  of 
two  centuries  later.  Dr.  Harris  connects  en  i  ti  ^  %  -t  with  rr*  -ni  V-^ 
'  a  young  man,'  and  suggests  that  the  word  is  a  dual,  and  that  the 
'AUjuc  are  the  Dioscuri.     This  surely  is  a  counsel  of  despair.     It 

152 


PLATE    1. 


Proc  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch..,  May,  1906. 


THE  COLUMN  INSCRIPTION  AT  EDESSA. 

{Keproductd by  incchanical prchcss  only,  I'.'iihoitt  r€ioiu'hiitg,Jroin  a photograpkJ) 


May  9]  THE  'THRONE  OF  NIMROD.'  [1906. 

does  not  account  for  the  perfectly  legible  en  at  the  end,  shewing 
that  we  are  dealing  with  something  that  has  the  suffix  of  the  third 
person  singular,  added  to  a  noun  or  preposition  in  the  singular. 
The  word  caa.sa.A_^.i  cannot  be  a  dual  or  a  plural.  In  fact,  there  is 
nothing  in  the  terms  of  the  Inscription  to  tell  of  whom  the  lost 
figure  was  a  representation,  except  that  an  uvcjuas  must  evidently 
be  a  figure  in  human  shape. 

The  word  ^^2'^1^!^C  read  here  for  the  first  time,  is,  I  venture 
to  think,  quite  certain.  The  tail  of  the  second  letter  is  broken 
away,  but  the  other  letters  are  quite  plain.  This  puzzling  word  also 
occurs  in  the  Syriac  Theophania  ii  19,  and  in  the  Bardesanian 
Hymn  of  the  Soul,  line  48.  In  the  Hymn  it  appears  to  be  used 
interchangeably  with  nr  1  ti^,  'the  second  in  command,'  as  the 
title  of  the  heir  apparent  to  the  throne. 

The  derivalion  of  i«:_a-.i_^-A  is  quite  obscure,  but  its  presence 
on  the  column  clears  up  the  difficulty  felt  by  Sachau  (p.  157)  at  the 
absence  of  ni_a_L-s>a  '  king '  after  the  name  of  Ma'nu,  father  of 
Queen  Shalmath.  Possibly  a  coin  published  by  Langlois,  JVuinis- 
matique  de  PArmenie,  Plate  V,  no.  12)1  may  refer  to  this  title.  On 
one  side  of  the  coin  is  ABfAPOC  B^CIA€YC  ;  on  the  other, 
MANNOC  nivlC.  The  bearded  head  does  not  seem  appro- 
priate to  a  -a7\,  so  that  perhaps  the  letters  may  be  an  abbreviation 
or  adaptation  of  Pasgriba,  if  that  be  the  pronunciation.  It  is  clear 
from  the  Hymn  tliat  the  word  has  only  three  syllables. 

Interpretation. 

A  few  words  must  be  said  in  conclusion  about  the  general 
interpretation  of  this  interesting  monument.  As  I  have  said,  the 
Inscription  itself  tells  us  nothing  about  the  cult  in  which  the 
monument  was  used,  and  I  venture  to  think  we  shall  be  unable  to 
get  much  further  until  we  have  a  good  plan  of  the  ruins,  as  well  as 
photographs  of  their  general  appearance.  I  give  here  (Plate  II)  a 
view  of  the  columns,  from  a  photograph  by  Father  Raphael,  of  the 
Capucin  Mission  at  Edessa,  which  shews  the  ruined  walls  of  the 
Temple  as  well  as  the  two  pillars.     We  do  not  know  for  certain  to 

^  Another  example  is  given  by  Babelon,  Revue  beige  de  nu>iiisiiiatiqne  for 
1892,  pi.  xii,  no.  8.  '  Le  mot  FIAIC  est  tout  a  fait  insolite  en  numismatique. 
says  M.  Babelon,  p.  521. 

153  N 


May  9]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

wliom  this  Temple  is  dedicated.  Fascinating  as  Dr.  Harris's 
theories  are,  and  probable  as  is  his  account  .of  the  genesis  of  the 
Legend  of  Judas  Thomas  the  Twin,  which  is  contained  in  the 
so-called  Acts  of  Thomas,  I  do  not  think  he  has  made  it  probable 
that  these  Columns,  or  the  Inscription  here  edited,  have  anything  to 
do  with  the  Dioscuri.  It  is  extremely  likely  that  the  Heavenly 
Twins  were  reverenced  at  Edessa,  but  I  very  much  doubt  whether 
their  worship  was  connected  with  this  building. 

The  name  of  the  writer  of  the  Inscription,  who  also  set  up  the 
Column  and  the  Statue,  presents  a  difficulty.  It  is  evidently  the 
same  as  that  on  the  Mosaic  edited  by  Dr.  Harris,  but  it  cannot  be 
nc_fisoi\_ar:',  as  Dr.  Harris  reads.  The  penultimate  letter  is  not 
very  distinct,  but  its  form  is  very  different  to  the  angular  oo  of 
pe:-ia  \Qare'  in  line  4.  Moreover,  if  it  had  been  a  <d,  it  would 
not  have  been  joined  to  the  final  rc.  I  am  certain  it  is  either 
j»  (i.e.,  n),  or  jj  (i.e.,  '^Z)-  These  letters  are  much  alike  in 
many  Syriac  scripts,  but  I  think  the  evidence  of  the  Mosaic  makes 
it  practically  certain  that  it  is  rc:_Moi»_^t^.  For  the  name  Aphtoha 
see  S.  A.  Cook's  Glossary  of  the  Aramaic  Inscriptions,  p.  24,  s.v. 
nn^t"^.  Curiously  enough  the  PfilCh^  of  the  Nabataean  Inscrip- 
tions {Noldeke,  9  ff.)  -was  a  sculptor  or  architect  in  stone  (t^7DC)» 
but  I  leave  the  possible  Dioscuric  inferences  to  be  drawn  by  those 
who  have  greater  faith  than  I  have. 

With  this  correction  the  inscription  on  the  Mosaic  reads  {Harns, 
p.  109): 

"  I,  Aphtoha,  son  of  Garmu,  have  made  me  this  House  of 
Eternity  for  myself,  and  for  my  sons,  and  for  my  heirs,  for  the  days 
of  Eternity." 

(In  the  fourth  line  Dr.  Harris  reads  ^j.aA  for  i\-i-=>  »A,  but 
the  reading  is  certain.) 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  ancestry  of  Aphtoha  in  the  Column  Inscrip- 
tion has  been  so  much  damaged,  but  it  does  not  seem  as  if  we 
could  interpolate  into  it  '  son  of  Garmu.'  In  the  third  line  of  the 
Column  Inscription,  after  "^2,  there  comes  a  horizontal  line. 
Now  the  only  letter  which  begins  with  a  horizontal  line  in  this  script 
is  ^*,  and  that  being  so,   considerations  of  space  make   it   almost 

154 


PLATE    II. 


Proc.  Sol.  Bihl.  Arch.,  A/ay,  1906. 


GENERAL   VIEW   OF   THE   "THRONE   OF   NIMROD." 
{S/i07('//i,i;-  //i-  aliiiiiiiuiit  of  the  IVal/s.) 


May  9]  THE  'THRONE  OF  NIMROD.'  [1906. 

necessary  to  read  the  name  ^T^IL''  "1^.  BajsJieinash  was  the 
name  of  one  of  the  noble  famihes  of  Edessa  :  we  read,  for  example, 
in  the  Doctrine  of  Addai  40--  of  «_2aj.i^  •»-=  ^json-.'isa  i.e.  Maryhab 
bar  Barshemash,  and  the  name  occurs  also  on  one  of  Sachau's 
inscriptions  {Z.D.AI.G.  xxxvi  163). 

Unfortunately  we  cannot  identify  Queen  Shalmath,  as  the  name 
was  borne  by  several  personages.  The  Queen  of  Abgar  Ukkama  in 
the  Doctrine  of  Addai  is  also  named  Shalmath,  but  she  was  a 
daughter  of  one  Meherdath  {i.e.  Mithridates),  and  this  is  a  daughter 
of  Ma'nu.  The  Queen  was  doubtless  the  wife  of  the  King,  but  the 
8th  line  is  too  much  cut  away  to  enable  us  to  tell  whether,  as  is 
probable,  it  ran  i^b^^^  "^IQi^]  nn^i^,  i-e.  'the  wife  of  King 
Abgar.'  What,  however,  the  decipherment  of  the  title  b^ll"i"^i!^Q 
makes  quite  certain,  is  that  the  Column  was  raised  under  the  auspices 
of  the  old  native  dynasty  of  the  Abgars  and  Ma'nus  of  Edessa, 
though  I  must  repeat  that  we  do  not  yet  know  to  what  deity  it  was 
dedicated. 


15.S 


May  9]  SOCIETV  OK  HIliLICAL  ARCII.EOLOGY.  [1906. 


INSCRIBED   SLAB    WITH  A   PORTRAIT 
OF   KHUENATEN. 

Bv  THE  Rev.   Dk.  Colin  Campbell. 

The  annexed  Plate  is  from  a  photograph  of  a  slab,  which  I  found 
last  winter  lying  in  one  of  the  Courts  of  the  Temple  of  Luxor, 
representing  Khuenaten,  the  heretic  king  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty, 
receiving  from  the  Sun's  rays,  which  end  in  hands,  a?ikhs  and  User 
sceptres,  emblems  of  life  and  power.  With  it  I  found  a  number  of 
small  fragments  inscribed  with  the  king's  name  in  cartouches. 

Similar  slabs  have  been  often  illustrated,  but  the  chief  interest  of 
this  example  lies  in  its  being  found  in  Luxor  Temple.  It  seems 
probable  that  all  the  fragments  must  have  been  removed  there  from 
some  other  building — perhaps  from  the  tomb  at  Thebes,  which  was 
opened  by  the  late  ^vlr.  Villiers  Stuart. 


The  next  MeetinLj  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
Wednesday,  June  13th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  : — 

Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  D.D. :  '-The  Chedorlaomer  Tablets." 


15^ 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  May,  1906. 


H  -S 

o 

W  U 

r"'  ■-' 

l-H  i, 

o  ^ 

<  2 

^  -a. 

U 

CD 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE    SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCHAEOLOGY. 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,     1906. 


Fifth   Meeting,  June    \yli,    1906. 
Prof.  A.  H.  SAYCE,  D.D., 


IN    THE   CHAIR. 


■9)^- 


[No.  ccxii.]  157 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : — 

From   the   Author,    M.    J.    Baillet. — "La    reunion   de  la  famille 
dans  les  enfers  Egyptiens." 

From  J-  Pollard,  Esq. — "  Golgotha  and  the  Holy  Sepulchre."     By 
the  late  Major-Gen.  Sir  C.  Wilson,  K.C.B. 


THE    LIBRARY. 


BOOK-BINDING    FUND. 

The  following  donation  has  been  received  : — 

June,  1906  : — 

Rev.  Dr.  Colin  Campbell    ...  ...  ...         ;£\     o     o 


The  Rev.  F.  A.  Jones,  2,  Argyle  Road,  Ilford, 
was  elected  a  Member  of  the  Society. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

Prof.  A.  H.  S.wcE,  Z).Z). :    ''The  Chedorlaomer  Tablets." 

Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 


June  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [1906. 


THE    MAGIC   IVORIES 
OF   THE    MIDDLE    EMPIRE. 

By  F.  Legge. 

III. 

I  am  fortunately  now  in  a  position  to  complete,  so  far  as  can  be 
done  at  the  present  time,  the  collection  of  these  objects  which  was 
begun  in  the  Proceedings  of  May  and  December  last  year.  Although 
most  of  those  about  to  be  noticed  were  unknown  to  me  in  May  last, 
some  of  them  confirm  in  a  striking  manner  the  views  that  I  then 
expressed  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  figures  and  the  use  and  date  of 
the  wands,  and  none  I  think  will  be  found  to  conflict  with  them. 
I  venture  to  think  that  this  is  in  itself  a  proof  that  the  views  then 
expressed  were  correct,  and  that  no  other  theory  heretofore  advanced 
concerning  these  objects  has  shown  any  claim  to  general  acceptance. 


Description  of  the  Plates} 
Plate  I.     No.  49. 

This,  as  will  be  seen,  is  the  photographic  reproduction  of  the 
wand  in  the  "  Edwards  "  Collection  at  University  College,  London,  a 
sketch  of  which  by  Miss  Murray  appeared  as  No.  47  in  the  December 
Proceedings.  It  is  always  as  well  in  these  cases  to  have  as  exact 
a  representation  of  the  object  as  possible  under  one's  eyes,  but 
the  photograph  here  does  little  except  to  emphasize  the  accuracy 
of  Miss  Murray's  sketch.  Attention  may  be  drawn,  however,  to  the 
holes  showing  where  the  two  halves  of  the  wand  were  formerly 
joined,  and  also  to  the  fact  that  here,  as  in  many  other  cases,  the 
middle  of  the  wand  was  much  worn  and  the  figures  inscribed  thereon 
were  almost  effaced  before  the  fracture.  This  is  in  itself  significant, 
as  will  afterwards  be  shown,  of  the  manner  in  which  these  wands 

^  As  before,  Ihe  Nos.  follow  on  those  attached  to  the  figures  in  the  two  earlier 
papers. 

159  O    2 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILEOLOGV.  [1906. 

were  used.  I  may  also  say  that  the  name  of  Nehi  which  we  find  on 
wand  No.  7  {F.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  p.  139  and  PI.  V),  as  that  of  the 
son  of  the  "  lady  of  the  house  Pert "  for  whom  the  present  wand  was 
made,  is  a  name  frequently  met  with  on  the  seals  of  officials  of  the 
Xllth-XIVth  Dynasties,  and  that  it  appears  on  a  scarab  in  the 
Fitzwilliam  Collection  as  that  of  a  "  Superintendent  of  the  Interior 
of  the  Z>i?/,"  and  on  another  in  the  Murch  Collection  as  that  of  the 
"  Great  One  of  the  Southern  Tens."  - 


Plate  II.     No.  50. 

This  fragment  I  owe  to  the  kindness  of  Prof  "Wilhelm  Spiegelberg, 
of  Strasbourg,  who  tells  me  that  he  bought  it  at  Luxor,  in  the  year 
1898,  and  that  it  was  said  by  the  vendor  to  have  been  found  at 
Drah  Abu'l  Neggah,  whence  came,  it  will  be  remembered,  wand 
No.  16  {P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  p.  143  and  PI.  IX). 3  On  the  same 
authority,  it  is  dark  brown  in  colour,  and  the  work  is  poorly 
executed.  The  fragment  that  remains  is  the  blunt  end  '  of  the 
wand,  and  contains  the  usual  procession  beginning  in  this  case  with 
the  hippopotamus-goddess,  upright,  and  armed  with  a  knife.  She  is 
followed  by  the  figure  I  have  called  the  Chimsera,  the  human  head 
between  the  wings  being  but  faintly  indicated  by  a  sort  of  rectangle 
with  a  hole  for  the  eye,  which  is,  however,  reproduced  in  the 
hieroglyph  of  the  seated  woman  on  the  reverse.  This  is  followed 
by  the  sun-disk,  mounted  on  two  human  legs  each  of  which  bears  a 
knife  at  the  foot,  and  encircled  by  a  uraeus,  whose  head  projects 
some  way  in  front.  Behind  this,  the  forepart  of  a  human-headed 
sphinx,  crowned  with  the  two  plumes  generally  given  to  Amen-Ra, 
and  also  armed  with  a  knife,  is  just  visible. 

On  the  reverse  is  the  inscription  : — ■ 


"Protection   around   the   royal  daughter  ISlentuhotep,  life,  health 
and  power ! " 

^  Newberry,  Scarabs  (London,  1906),  pp.  133  and  143,  and  Plates  XIII  and 
XVII.  Cf.  also  "the  Royal  Clothier  Nehy,"  p.  130  and  PI.  XII,  and  "the 
Scribe  of  the  Army  Nehj',  born  of  the  lady  Kesen,"  p.  195  and  PI.  XLIII. 

^  Both  Luxor  and  Drah  Abu'l  Neggah  are,  like  Gurneh,  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  Thebes. 

160 


PLATE  I 


PLATE  II. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bihl.  Arch.,  /"ik-',  1906. 


JiNE  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [igoS, 

It  is  not  very  likely  that  this  was  the  queen  Mentuhotep  whose 
jCofifin  and  other  funeral  equipage  were  found  some  years  ago,*^  but 
'the  use  of  the  same  name  for  both  the  male  and  female  members 
of  the  same  family  is  curious,  and  can  be  paralleled  by  other  instances 
on  these  wands.  It  also  confines  the  date  of  the  wand  pretty  closely 
to  the  time  of  the  Xlth-XIIth  Dynasty. 


Plate  III.     No.  51. 

This  beautiful  wand  comes  from  the  Public  Museum  at  Liverpool, 

no  record  of  its  provenance  being  obtainable.     It  is  engraved  on 

one    side  only,  and  is  nearly  perfect,   only  a  small  piece  near  the 

tip  being   missing,    and   having    been    replaced   by   cement.      The 

procession  goes  as  usual  from  the  lion's  mask  to  the  jackal's  head, 

I  both  here  very  clearly  shown,  and  begins  with  the  figure  of  a  cat 

\passa/ii,    having  a  knife  in  her  forepaw.     Behind    her   comes  the 

hil)popotamus-goddess,  leaning  upon  the  sa  sign,  and  armed  with  a 

I  knife,  and  then  the  lion,  which  we  have  seen  named  viahes,  or  "lion 

i  fascinateur," ''    similarly   equipped.      The   middle    of  the   wand   is 

occupied  by  the  snake-necked  panther,  also  armed  with  a  knife,  with 

a  cresset  or  light  displayed  above  his  back,  and  followed  by  the 

tortoise  shetuS'     The  procession  is  closed  by  the  chimsera,  followed 

h\  another  cat,  this  time  rampant,  and  armed  with  the  knife  displayed 

by  all  the  animals  except  the  chimaera.     The  figures  are  carefully 

executed,  and  the  wand  in  excellent  preservation. 


Plate  III.     No.  52. 

This  fragment  which,  like  the  last,  is  engraved  on  one  side  only, 
comes  from  the  collection  of  Prof.  Spiegelberg,  and  has  the  same 
provenance  as  No.  50.  Unlike  the  last-named,  however,  it  is  white 
in  colour,  and  the  style  of  the  figures  is  too  dissimilar  for  it  to  have 

■«  A.Z.,  XXX,  46;  XXXI,  23. 

^  P.S.B.A.,  December,  1905,  p.  302.  On  the  ^\hole  subject  of  the  "lion 
fascinateur,"  Maspero,  Et.  de  Myth.,  Vol  II,  pp.  415  sqq.,  may  be  consulted 
with  advantage. 

fi  See  last  note  and  P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  p.  149  and  note  32,  and  references 
there  given. 

161 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHyEOLOGV.  [1906. 

been  executed  by  the  same  hands  as  its  fellow.  The  small  piece 
that  remains  shows  the  chimsera  figure  with  the  head  between  the 
half  open  wings  so  far  raised  above  the  body  as  to  be  entirely 
separated  from  it,  which  perhaps  confirms  the  suggestion  that  this 
was  a  symbolical  or  conventional  way  of  portraying  a  mounted  man. 
After  this  comes  the  snake-necked  panther,  the  neck  being  not 
merely  elongated,  but  waved  in  the  manner  which  appears  more 
clearly  in  Nos.  3  and  9  in  Part  I  of  this  paper.  Following  him 
is  a  very  long  snake  extended,  and  then  the  tortoise,  after  which 
nothing;  can  be  distinguished. 


Plate  IV.     No.  53. 

This  fragment  comes  from  the  Ashmolean  Museum,  and  was 
acquired  m  1900,  the  place  where  it  was  found  being  said  to  be 
Abydos."  It  is  engraved  on  one  side  only,  and  the  figures  are 
roughly  cut.  The  most  marked  feature  about  it  is  a  curious  line 
below  the  figures,  made  up  of  a  series  of  curves,  or,  perhaps,  neb 
baskets,  so  as  to  present  the  form  which  heralds  call  "engrailed." 
The  subject  seems  to  be  the  usual  procession  of  animals  armed  with 
knives,  opening  with  a  frog  and  closing  with  a  lion ;  but  I  can  make 
nothing  of  the  intermediate  objects. 


Plate  IV.     No.  54. 

This,  like  the  last,  is  now  in  the  Ashmolean,  though  no  record  of 
its  provenance  is  obtainable.  It  is  in  two  parts,  which  have  been 
joined  in  the  middle,  though  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  they 
were  originally  continuous.  On  each  side  of  the  break  is  a  figure 
of  the  hippopotamus-goddess,  upright,  and  bearing  a  knife,  the  one 
on  the  right  being  followed  by  a  seated  lion,  or  perhaps  a  cyno- 
cephalus  baboon,  devouring  a  snake.  The  other  figures  have  been 
too  much  defaced  by  the  flaking  of  the  ivory  to  be  decipherable. 

'  This  of  course  may  mean  very  little,  as  it  is  the  practice  of  the  native 
dealers  in  antiquities  to  label  their  goods  with  the  name  of  any  find-spot  for 
the  moment  in  vogue.  The  year  when  this  and  the  next  wand  were  acquired 
corresponds  with  the  time  when  M.  Amelineau's  discoveries  at  Abydos  were 
beginning  to  attract  attention,  and  the  native  shops  were  full  of  objects  described, 
with  or  without  justification,  as  coming  from  his  excavations. 

162 


PLATE  III. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  lane,  1906. 


Proi.  Soc.  Bib/.  Arch.,  June,  1906. 


June  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [1906. 

Plate  V.     No.  55. 

This  is  also  in  the  Ashmolean,  was  purchased  at  the  same  time 
as  No.  54,  and  is  also  said  to  have  come  from  Abydos.  It  bears  no 
figures,  but  shows  the  pains  taken  to  fashion  the  pointed  end  of  the 
tusk  into  the  form  of  a  jackal's  head,  and  thereby  confirms  the 
opinion  expressed  in  Part  I  of  this  paper,  that  this  had  a  symbolical 
or  ritual  meaning. 

Plate  V.     No.  56. 

Also  in  the  Ashmolean,  and  said  to  come  from  Abydos,  though 
purchased  a  year  after  Nos.  53,  54  and  55.  It  is  a  small  piece 
broken  off  from  the  extreme  tip  of  the  tusk,  which  terminates  with 
an  incised  representation  of  the  jackal's  head,  immediately  after 
which  is  seen  what  appears  to  be  a  human  leg  and  foot,  and  may 
I  possibly  be  a  partly  obliterated  representation  of  the  walking  sun- 
disk  just  about  to  disappear  in  the  West.  Facing  this  is  a  lion 
couchant,  armed  with  a  knife,  after  which  the  wand  is  broken  away. 

Plate  V.     No.  57, 

A  small  fragment  of  unknown  provenance,  also  in  the  Ashmolean, 
and  included  in  this  paper  for  the  sake  of  completeness.  It  shows 
the  Anubis-term,  with  knife  at  foot,  and  the  hind-quarters  of  some 
feline  animal  with  the  interlaced  snakes  stretching  over  the  two. 

Plate  V.     No.  58. 

I  have  kept  this  and  the  two  which  follow  to  the  last,  in  the  hope 
that  I  might  be  able  to  get  photographs  of  them.  Unfortunately 
all  my  efforts  have  been  unavailing,  and  I  cannot  give  any  infor- 
mation as  to  their  present  whereabouts.*     They  were  all  discovered 

**  That  this  should  be  so  shows  the  haphazaid  method  still  pursued  with 
reference  to  the  distribution  of  the  objects  obtained  by  modern  exploration  in 
Egypt.  ]\Ir.  Quibell,  when  he  found  them,  was  working  for  the  Egyptian 
Research  Account,  and  I  therefore  applied  to  Prof.  Petrie  in  the  first  instance. 
He  told  me  that  so  far  as  his  recollection  went,  they  had  been  presented  to  some 
Museum  in  America  ;  but  although  I  have  written  to  the  curators  of  the  Museums 
of  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago,  and  Baltimore,  I  have  received  no 
answer  from  any  of  them  except  in  the  case  of  Chicago,  -where  Dr.  Breasted 
informs  me  they  certainly  are  not.  Miss  Murray,  who  was,  I  think,  Secretary 
of  the  Research  Account  at  the  time,  is  also  ignorant  of  their  whereabouts. 

163 


JTNE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCIL-EOLOGV.  [1906. 

by  Mr.  Quibell  at  Thebes  in  a  wooden  box  containing  some 
broken  papyri  in  Xllth  century  hieratic,  in  which,  Mr.  Newberry 
tells  me,  were  contained  magical  receipts.^  From  this  it  may  be 
judged  that  they  formed  part  of  the  stock-in-trade  of  a  professional 
magician,  which  confirms  the  conjecture  that  I  have  before  put 
forward  that  Thebes  was  the  hunting-ground  of  the  workers  in  curious 
arts.  No.  58  is  a  piece  of  the  pointed  end  of  the  tusk  which  once 
terminated  in  the  usual  jackal's  mask,  the  tips  of  the  ears  being 
alone  left.  Immediately  after  this  comes  a  snake,  curled  as  though 
about  to  spring,  and  facing  a  frog,  who  is  followed  by  a  seated  cat. 
After  this,  we  have  a  cresset  and  the  Anubis-term,  followed  by  the 
sun-disk  walking,  which  in  its  turn  is  followed  by  the  chimrera. 
The  pose  of  the  snake  is  peculiar,  as  is  the  spot  in  the  centre  of  the 
sun-disk. 

Plate  VI.     No.  59. 

This  is  assumed  by  Mr.  Quibell  to  be  two  fragments  of  the  same 
wand,  though  if  the  reproduction  in  "  The  Ramesseiun  "  is  accurate, 
it  would  appear  that  the  more  pointed  end  of  the  blunter  half  was 
too  small  to  fit  accurately  in  with  the  other.  Immediately  behind 
the  jackal's  mask,  at  the  tip  of  the  tusk,  is  the  head  of  a  long-eared 
animal  with  a  crest  of  hair,  which  may  be  the  Set  animal,  or  perhaps 
the  cow  of  wand  No.  i.  Behind  this,  and  back  to  back  with  it,  is 
the  cynocephalus,  dancing.  After  the  break,  the  outline  of  the 
knife-armed  Anubis-term  is  just  visible,  and  then  the  god  Bes,  in  his 
usual  full  face  attitude,  holding  a  snake  in  each  hand.  Then  comes 
the  hippopotamus-goddess,  upright,  v»"ith  knife  in  one  hand,  and 
resting  the  other  on  the  sa  sign,  another  figure  of  the  god  Bes  as 
before,  with  perhaps  a  scourge  in  the  left  hand,  and  then  the  lion 
makes  with  knife  and  sa  sign,  in  the  act  of  devouring  a  snake.  Lastly, 
at  the  blunt  end  of  the  tusk,  turned  about  to  face  the  lion,  is  the 
snake-necked  panther,  with  a  three-headed  serpent  extended  over  it. 


Plate  VI.     No.  60. 

This,  which  is  only  slightly  broken,  shows  at  the  tip  cf  the  tusk 
the  jackal's  mask.      Then  comes  the   turtle  Shetu,  and  a  bird  of 

'  Quibell,  77/1?  Ramesseuiii,  London,  1898,  p.  3. 
164 


PLATE  V. 


PiOi.  Soc.  BibL  Arch.,  June,  1906. 


^■■^i^i*isbSL^::i^x^iitikiii^iiL. 


No.  56. 

Wands  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum. 
From  Pholograplis. 


No.  57. 

Wand  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum. 
From  a  lOpy  by  Miss  Murray. 


No.  58. 

Wand  from  Thebes. 
From  "  The  Ramesseum"  by  J.  E.  Quibell. 


PLATE  VI. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch. ^  June ^  1906. 


Jr.NE  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [1906. 

curious  form,  which  is  probably  intended  for  a  vulture,  bearing  a 
scourge  or  flail  as  well  as  a  knife.  Then  comes  the  chimcera,  while 
the  frog  seated  on  the  Jieb  basket  closes  the  procession.  The  two 
holes  connected  by  a  curved  line  at  the  end,  are  probably  part  of  the 
lion's  mask,  either  broken  or  rubbed  away. 


Date  of  the  Wands. 

I  now  return  to  the  question  of  date,  which  was  only  briefly 
touched  upon  in  Part  I  of  this  paper.  All  those  which  bear  the 
names  of  the  persons  for  whom  they  were  made  can  be  dated  with 
reasonable  exactitude,  as  with  one  exception  they  are  all  names 
l)elonging  to  known  personages  of  the  Middle  Empire.  Thus,  to  take 
them  in  their  order,  the  name  of  Seneb  or  Senb,  found  on  No.  3, 
appears  also  on  a  scarab  in  the  Cairo  Museum ^'^  which  seems  to  be 
the  seal  of  an  official  describing  himself  as  "the  Instructor  of  the 
House  of  Life,  Senb";  on  another  in  the  British  Museum^^  made  for 
"'the  ser  hayt  Senb";  on  another  in  the  Berlin  Museum,  belonging 
to  "the  Attendant  Senb";i~  on  another  in  the  Cairo  Museum,!-^ 
belonging  to  "the  Guardian  of  the  Storehouse  Senb";  and  on  yet 
another  in  the  Murch  Collection,^^  made  for  the  "Royal  Sealer, 
Superintendent  of  the  Prison  Senb."  All  these  scarabs  are  described 
by  Mr.  Newberry  as  belonging  to  officials  of  the  Xllth-XIVth 
Dynasties,  and  it  is  therefore  plain  that  the  name  must  belong  to 
this  period.  So,  the  "  Snaa-ab,  daughter  of  Senb-se-ma  "  for  whom 
the  wand  No.  4  was  made,  bears  the  same  name  as  the  Ramenkhau 
or  Snaa-ab,  whom  Prof.  Petrie^^  believes  to  be  a  king  of  the  Xlllth 
Dynasty,  or  the  "  .f(?r /z«j'/ Senaab,"  whose  scarab  is  in  the  British 
Museum,  and  as  the  "  Great  One  of  the  Southern  Tens  Senaa-ab"  on 
a  scarab  in  the  MacGregor  Collection  -^^  while  her  mother's  name 
seems  to  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  "Superintendent  of  the  Seal 
Senb-su-ma  "  of  the  same  period,  of  whose  scarabs  a  long  list  might 
be  given. I''     Nehi  again,  the  appellative  of  the  owner  of  wand  No.  7, 

'°  Newberry,  op.  cit.,  p.  135  and  PL  XIII. 

"  Op.  cit.,  p.  141  and  PI.  XVI.  ^2  gp.  cit.,  p.  142  and  PL  XVI. 

1^  Of>.  cit.,  p.  197  and  PL  XLIII.  ^^  Op.  cit.,  p.  199  and  PI.  XLIV. 

^^  Petrie,  History  of  Egypt,  VoL  I,  p.  227. 

^^  Newberry,  op.  cit.,  p.  136  and  PL  XIV. 

^^  Op.  cit.,  p.  126  and  PL  XI. 

165 


JL-NE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^^OLOGV.  [1906. 

as  has  been  mentioned  above  (note  2,  sup.)  is  a  name  borne  by  several 
officials  of  the  same  period,  while  his  name  and  that  of  his  mother 
Pert  has  been  found  by  Miss  Murray  under  the  circumstances 
mentioned  in  Part  I  of  this  paper.  The  princess  Ptah-neferu  of 
wand  No.  13  bears  the  same  name,  and  may  be  the  same  person  as 
Ptah-neferu,  daughter  of  Amenemhat  III,  of  the  Xllth  Dynasty, 
whose  sarcophagus  was  found  in  her  father's  pyramid  at  Hawara.i** 
The  name  of  the  Mer-senb-s  of  wand  No.  46  I  have  not  yet  identified, 
but  that  of  her  mother  Nub-n-ab  is  sufficiently  like  that  of  Queen 
Nub-em-hat,  of  the  Xlllth  Dynasty,  to  leave  little  doubt  that  it  may 
be  assigned  to  the  same  period.  As  the  name  of  Mentuhotep  has 
been  already  dealt  with  above,  this  leaves  only  the  Seb-kai  of  wand 
No.  14  to  account  for.  His  name,  as  mentioned  in  Part  I  of  this 
paper,  cannot  be  found  in  any  king-list ;  but  the  title  "  Fair  God  " 
which  precedes  it,  is  said  not  to  have  been  introduced  until  the 
IXth  Dynasty, ^^  and  the  name  is  likely  to  be  that  of  some  usurper 
or  local  chief  during  the  troublous  times  of  the  Xlllth  and  XlVth 
Dynasties.  The  likeness  of  style  of  the  wands  which  can  thus 
be  dated  to  those  without  names  is  sufficiently  close  in  most  cases 
to  admit  of  our  confidently  attributing  the  greater  part  of  these  last 
to  the  Middle  Empire.-'^ 


The  Mea?ii}ig  of  the  Figures. 

I  will  only  add  to  my  remarks  under  this  head  that  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Book  of  the  Am-Tuat  and  the  Book  of  the  Gates  by 
Dr.  Budge  has,  to  my  mind,  cleared  up  the  mystery  attaching  to  two 
of  the  figures  on  these  wands,  namely  the  double  sphinx  of  wands 
Nos.  3,  7,  and  18,  and  the  double  bull  of  Nos.  i  and  7.  There  can 
be,  I  think,  now  no  doubt  that  the  double  sphinx  typifies  the  "Land 
of  Seker,"  perhaps  the  oldest  of  all  the  Egyptian  gods  of  the  dead, 
over  which  the  Sun-god  was  supposed  to  pass  during  the  fourth 
hour  of  the  night.     In  Dr.  Budge's  version  of  the  Book  of  Am- 


'"  Budge,  Hislory  of  Eg}>pt,  Vul.  Ill,  p.  62. 

"  Op.  cit..  Vol.  II,  p.  167. 

^  The  only  ones  about  which  it  seems  to  me  that  there  can  be  any  real  doubt 
are  the  two  in  relief  in  the  British  Museum  (Nos.  2  and  27),  which  are  certainly 
very  different  in  style  and  perhaps  in  intention  from  the  others. 

166 


June  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [1906. 

Tuat,  he  explains  how  this  veritable  "land  of  darkness "  was  there 
represented  as  "an  elongated  ellipse  formed  wholly  of  sand,"  and  he 
continues,  "  This  mysterious  oval  is  supposed  to  rest  upon  the  bodies 
of  two  man-headed  lion  sphinxes,  set  tail  to  tail ;  of  these,  however, 
onl)'  the  heads  and  fore  quarters  appear,  one  at  each  end  of  the 
oval."~i  Moreover,  this  land  of  Seker  was  one  "wherein  lived 
monster  serpents  of  terrifying  aspect,  some  having  two  and  some 
three  heads,  and  some  having  wings."  So  terrible  indeed  were  these 
beings  that  the  Sun-god  in  the  Book  never  enters  the  land  of 
darkness  at  all,  but  passes  over  instead  of  through  it  in  a  specially 
constructed  boat;  while  of  the  scarab,  figured  on  the  wand,  as  in  the 
Book,  as  immediately  below  it,  it  is  said  "  Behold  Kheperu  who, 
immediately  the  boat  of  Ra  is  towed  to  the  top  of  this  circle,  unites 
himself  to  the  roads  of  the  Tuat ;  when  this  god  standeth  on  the 
head  of  the  goddess  he  speaketh  words  to  Seker  every  day."-'-  No 
doubt  the  portrayal  of  the  nightly  triumph  of  the  Sun-gods  Ra  and 
Kheper  over  Seker,  the  master  of  serpents,  was  thought  to  be  very 
terrifying  to  all  serpents  who  caught  sight  of  it.  Nor  is  the  symbolism 
of  the  double  bull  less  plain.  In  his  version  of  the  Book  of  the 
Gates,  Dr.  Budge  tells  us  how,  in  the  Third  Division  of  the  Under- 
world, or  third  hour  of  the  night,  the  tow-rope  of  the  Boat  of  the  Sun 
"is  fastened  to  the  two  ends  of  a  very  remarkable  object,  in  the  form 
of  a  long  beam,  each  end  of  which  terminates  in  a  bull's  head."  He 
goes  on  to  say  that  it  is  clear  that  the  boat  of  Ra  and  the  god 
himself  were  believed  to  pass  through  this  object  from  one  end  to 
the  other,-'^  and  in  the  accompanying  vignette  a  bull  is  seen  standing 
upon  each  end  of  the  bull-headed  object,  which  is  alluded  to  as  the 
"Boat  of  the  Earth,"  while  the  text  says,  "Praised  be  the  soul 
[i.e.,  Ra]  which  the  Double  Bull  hath  swallowed."-^  As  it  is  evident 
that  both  the  Book  of  Am-Tuat  and  the  Book  of  the  Gates  represent 
attempts  to  synthesize,  and,  so  far  as  could  be,  to  bring  into  harmony 
the  different  traditions  of  the  Egyptians  as  to  the  Underworld,  where 
the  sun  went  during  the  night  and  where  therefore  man  might 
expect  to  go  after  death,  we  can  hardly  refuse  to  believe  that  the 
double  sphinx  and  the  double  bull  here  represent  the  "  house  of 


"^  Budge,  T/ie  Egyptian  Heaven  and  Hell,  Vol.  I,  p.  93. 
-'^  Op.  ciL,  Vol.  I,  p.  89. 
^^  Op.  cit..  Vol.  II,  p.  103. 
"^  Op.  cit..  Vol.  II,  p.  106. 
167 


JL-NE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  UIliLICAL  ARCILEOLOGV.  [1906. 

Hades  "  as  it  was  figured  by  two  different  but  not  necessarily  con- 
flicting traditions. -■'' 


The  Use  of  the  Wands. 

While  the  additions  that  I  have  been  able  to  make  in  Parts  11 
and  III  of  this  paper  to  the  objects  collected  in  Part  I  confirm  the 
views  as  to  them  expressed  in  Part  I,  I  see  nothing  in  them  that 
would  lead  me  in  any  way  to  alter  my  original  theory  that  they  were 
intended  as  ])hylacteries  or  magical  "protections"  against  the  bites 
of  snakes  and  perhaps  other  misfortunes.  The  word  "phylactery" 
{(l)u\aKT!jj)ioi')  has  of  course  precisely  this  meaning,  but  its  Biblical 
association  with  the  frontlets  of  the  Jews  seems  to  have  misled  some 
of  my  readers  into  supposing  that  it  was  necessarily  something 
attached  to  or  worn  on  the  person.  This  is,  of  course,  not  the  case, 
and  in  a  mediaeval  exorcism  I  find  the  magician  commanding  the 
spirits  "by  virtue  of  these  phylacteries  which  I  hold  in  my  hand." 
Now,  in  magic,  spirits  of  all  kinds  have  always  been  supposed  to 
dread  a  pointed  weapon,  as  is  shown  (to  quote  no  other  instance)  in 
the  proceedings  of  Ulysses  in  the  Xlth  book  of  the  Odyssey.  And 
the  serpent,  from  its  silence,  swiftness,  and  the  mysterious  character 
of  the  death  which  follows  its  bite,  has  always  been  considered  by 
primitive  folk  as  the  favourite  abode  of  spirits  if  not  a  spirit  itself 
Hence  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  pointed  end  of  the  wand 
was  supposed  to  be  especially  efficacious  if  directed  against  the 
serpents  and  other  mysterious  animals  which  it  was  intended  to 
frighten.  But  to  point  it  towards  them,  or  towards  the  quarter  in 
which  they  were  supposed  to  be,  it  would  be  necessary  to  grasp  the 
wand  by  the  middle,  and  this  I  think  may  account  for  the  signs  of 
attrition  that  wands  like  No.  3  exhibit.  That  the  wands  were 
actually  regarded  by  their  makers  as  phylacteries  or  "  protections  " 
of  some  sort  is,  I  think,  sufficiently  evident  from  the  words  of  the 
inscriptions  on  wands  Nos.  3,  4,  7,  9,  13,  15,  46,  47,  and  50. 

I  have  to  express  my  thanks  to  the  Keepers  of  the  "  Edwards  " 

"^  It  follows  from  this  that  the  conjecture  expressed  hy  me  in  Part  I 
(P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  p.  132,  note  7),  as  to  the  great  carved  slate  of  the  liritish 
Museum  and  Louvre  {P.S.B.A.,  XXII,  p.  131  and  1*1.  II),  is  well  founded,  and 
thai  the  scene  there  depicted  does  represent  the  proto-dynastic  invaders  hunting 
the  aborigines,  under  the  form  of  animals,  into  the  underworld,  or  jierhaps  into 
the  caves  and  hollows  of  the  earth. 

168 


June  13]        MAGIC  IVORIES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EMPIRE.  [1906, 

collection  ;  of  the  Ashmolean  Museum  ;  of  the  Liverpool  Public 
Museum ;  and  to  Professor  Dr.  Wilhelm  Spiegelberg ;  for  their 
kindness  in  allowing  me  photographs  of  the  objects  in  their  collec- 
tions, and  to  Dr.  Wallis  Budge  and  Mr.  H.  R.  Hall  for  much  kind 
help  and  assistance  in  reading  the  inscriptions  and  otherwise. 


As  it  is  unlikely  that  any  considerable  number  of  these  objects 
will  be  discovered  in  the  future,  I  think  I  may  refer,  in  conclusion,  to 
the  gallant  attempt  made  by  Miss  Murray,  in  the  January  number 
of  the  Proceedings^  to  show  that  these  wands  are  not  phylacteries 
but  horoscopes.  As  I  remarked  at  the  reading  of  her  paper,  she 
seems  to  have  gone  astray  in  the  matter,  not  from  any  want  of 
Egyptological  knowledge,  but  from  lack  of  practical  acquaintance 
with  the  "splendid  imposture"  of  astrology — an  ignorance  for 
which  she  is  rather  to  be  praised  than  blamed.  Having  gone  into  her 
arguments  fully  at  the  Meeting  where  they  were  read,  I  may  perhaps 
be  excused  if  I  here  present  my  refutation  of  them  only  in  a  very 
brief  and  summary  form,  the  length  to  which  this  paper  has  already 
run  being  an  additional  reason  for  not  dealing  with  them  more 
fully.  My  reasons  for  rejecting  her  proposed  interpretation  of  the 
wands  are  therefore  as  follows  : — 

(i)  Bes,  Heqt,  and  Taurt  are  only  found  in  the  "birth-chapels" 
of  the  Pharaoh  as  the  representative  of  the  Sun-god, 
and  their  appearance  there  is  evidently  due  to  the  part 
supposed  to  be  played  by  them  in  the  natural  phenomena 
of  sun-rise.  There  is  no  reason  for  supposing  that  they 
were  thought  to  play  a  similar  part  at  the  birth  of  private 
individuals  such  as  most  of  those  for  whom  these  wands 
were  made. 

(2)  The  language  of  the  inscriptions  on  the  wands  themselves — 
one  of  which  speaks  of  cutting  off  "the  head  of  the  enemy" 
— is  quite  inconsistent  with  the  view  that  they  were 
intended  for  horoscopes ;  while  it  agrees  perfectly  with  the 
theory  that  they  were  made  for  the  protection  of  their 
owners  against  snake-bite  and  other  misfortunes. 
169 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL-EOLOGV.  [1906, 

(3)  The  Egyptians,  as  the  Palermo  Stone  and  other  monuments 

show,  even  before  the  Middle  Empire,  had  a  perfectly 
consistent  method  of  indicating  dates  by  the  year  of  the 
reigning  king.  Yet  these  wands  contain  nothing  that  can 
by  any  ingenuity  be  twisted  into  the  record  of  a  date, 
which  is  the  most  important  point  in  the  construction  of  a 
horoscope. 

(4)  I  have  worked  backwards  by  the  usual  process  the  horoscope 

which  Miss  Murray  has  given  in  PI.  II  of  her  paper 
{P.S.B.A.,  1906,  p.  42)  as  what  she  considers  the  astro- 
logical expression  of  wand  No.  2.  The  only  possible  date 
at  which  the  greater  planets  were  in  the  position  there 
ascribed  to  them  seems  to  have  been  the  14th  March, 
2765  rs.c,  which  is  a  good  deal  earlier  than  that  which  the 
most  generous  chronology  now  in  vogue  gives  for  the 
beginning  of  the  Middle  Empire.  While  the  Sun  and 
Moon  were  then  in  the  positions  she  attributes  to  them, 
I  find  that  Mars  was  then  in  the  last  degrees  of  Aries, 
and  Mercury  and  Saturn  in  the  15th  and  5th  degrees  of 
Aquarius,  ^Vhile  therefore  ]\Iars  was  a  whole  sign  or  the 
twelfth  part  of  the  circle  further  forward  than  the  place 
she  would  give  to  him,  Saturn  was  a  sign  and  a  sixth  in 
front  (?/"  and  Mercury  three  signs  behind  their  respective 
positions  in  her  figure.  It  appears  from  this  last  that  none 
of  the  planets  could  have  been  visible  at  the  hour  in 
question,  which  must  have  been  a  little  after  6  a.m.,  and 
their  positions  must  therefore  have  been  ascertained,  if 
at  all,  by  calculation  from  tables.  Assuming — and  it 
seems  a  very  large  assumption — that  the  Egyptians  of  the 
3rd  millennium  B.C.  were  in  possession  of  such  tables,  we 
must  suppose  Miss  Murray's  astrologer  to  have  been  so 
unskilful  in  their  use  as  to  assign  to  Saturn  a  place  in 
the  heavens  that  he  was  not  to  occupy  for  more  than  two 
years  to  come. 


170 


June  13]      -         AN   INSCRIPTION   OF   S-ANKH-KA-RA.  [1906. 


AN  INSCRIPTION  OF  S-ANKH-KA-RA. 
KARIAN    AND     OTHER    INSCRIPTIONS. 

By   Prof.    A.    H.    Sayce,   D.D.,    &-c. 


Inscription  of  S-ankh-ka-ra, 

(Plate  I.) 

While  excavating  last  February  at  El-Hammam,  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  Nile  at  Gebel  Silsila,  I  discovered  a  good  many  rock- 
inscriptions,  including  some  Karian  graffiti,  which  are  published  in 
the  accompanying  plate.  1  found  most  of  these  last  on  a  boulder 
of  sandstone  on  the  south  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  Shatt  es-Seba' 
Rigala,  where  they  surrounded  a  deeply-incised  inscription  of  a 
certain  Ana  or  Ani,  recording  the  name  of  S-ankh-ka-Ra  Mentu- 
hetep  of  the  Xlth  dynasty.  As  is  well-known,  the  Shatt  or  valley  is 
full  of  inscriptions  of  this  dynasty,  one  of  them  accompanying 
representations  of  Neb-hapu-Ra  Mentu-hetep  and  Antef,  which 
were  discovered  by  Harris  and  are  figured  in  Petrie's  Season  in  Egypt 
(1887),  Plate  XVI.  Graffiti  which  I  found  on  the  plateau  abc- 
show  that  the  valley  was  not  a  desert  road,  as  has  hitherto  beet, 
supposed,  but  that  the  Xlth  dynasty  officials  and  workmen  came 
there  in  search  of  stone.  As  the  hieroglyphic  inscription  is  impor- 
tant, mentioning,  as  it  does,  "  the  king  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt, 
S-ankh-ka-Ra,  beloved  of  Horus,  beloved  of  Sebek  the  lord  of  the 
Lake  of  Khar(u),"  I  give  it  here.  It  would  seem  that  the  lake  was 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Silsilis.  The  rude  drawing  of  the  donkey 
to  the  right  of  the  inscription  was  made  by  the  same  hand  as  the 
hieroglyphic  text. 

171 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

Karian  and  other  Inscriptions. 


(Plate  I.) 

This  Karian  inscription  is  incised  immediately  above  the  inscrip- 
tion of  Ana.  When  I  first  copied  it  I  thought  that  the  downstroke 
to  the  left  of  the  second  word  belonged  to  the  first  letter  of  the 
word,  which  might  therefore  be  a  new  form  of  in.  But  a  second 
visit  made  it  clear  that  such  a  supposition  was  unnecessary,  and  that 
the  stroke  really  belongs  to  the  character  below  it  in  the  second  line. 
Consequently  the  inscription  reads  :  L-9-a-a-a  Vu-u-v-s-e-a-1-y  g-v-  .  . 
th-y-gh.  Since  we  have  L-3-r-o-n  in  .Savce,  I,  7,  it  is  possible  that 
the  third  character  is  intended  for  r,  not  a.  Vuvsealy  would 
represent  the  "Of  ffo-wXAo?  or  "Yo-ffa-XXo?  of  Greek  Karian  inscriptions. 
Gh  was  a  suffix;  we  find  it  elsewhere,  e.g.,  in  vugh  at  Krya,  iiuvugh 
{P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  No.  Ill)  and  thagh  at  Silsilis  {F.S.B.A., 
May,  1895).  Here  it  seems  to  denote  the  third  or  first  person  of 
the  verb. 

II. 

(Plate  I.) 

Me-s-n-a-w-y.  The  name  of  Mesnawo  occurs  in  a  large  number 
of  Karian  graffiti.  We  find  it  under  the  forms  Mesnaba,  Mesnbo, 
Jklesnaby,  Mesnawwu,  Mesnawy,  Mesna\vwa(u),  and  Mesnawyii 
(genitive).  Here  a  line  is  drawn  after  mes,  indicating  that  the 
name  is  a  compound.  Cp.  the  name  Messeve.  The  inscription 
is  written  to  the  right  of  the  hieroglyphic  text.  Since  mesdra-ckcthon 
seems  to  mean  "  they  wrote,"  the  word  mes  would  signify  "  to  write." 

III. 

(Plate  I.) 

L-e-sh-w-wu-s(?)-o  d(?)-a-o  .  .  This  inscription,  which  is  also 
to  the  right  of  the  hieroglyphic  text,  may  have  lost  some  letters 
between  0  and  ^(?).  Instead  of  d  the  letter  may  be  e ;  it  is  too 
much  obliterated  for  certainty.  For  sh  see  below,  No.  VIII 
(PI.  II).  The  sixth  letter  in  the  name  is  probably  intended  ioxs; 
it  can  hardly  be  m. 

172 


PLATE    I. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arc/i.,  June,  1906. 


.^'^x' 


y 


id 

0 


f<l^ 


IX 


^ 

^   Ri 


V  ILO 


©   M 


< 

2 


—     ;« 


tfe'>rAB/>n 


mt-t^.B 


No.   IV. 


June  13]  KARIAN   AND   OTHER  INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 

IV. 

(Plate  I.) 

V-]-ss-b(?)-d-(?).  A  letter  may  be  lost  at  the  beginning  of  the 
name,  and  instead  of  b  we  may  read  c.  If  we  could  read  the  third 
letter  as  gh  we  might  compare  the  Greek  Karian  name  ^WKuiaai's. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  the  following  word  . .  1-z- . .  -e  is  a  continuation 
of  the  graffito,  or  an  independent  inscription.  Both  words  are  to  the 
right  of  the  hieroglyphic  text. 

V. 

(Plate  II.) 

This  reads  e-me-vu-h  and  is  on  a  rock  on  the  slope  of  the  cliff 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  El-Hammam,  where  I  found 
a  late  Roman  cemetery.  No.  VIII  (PI.  II)  is  on  the  same  rock,  as 
well  as  a  "prehistoric"  giraffe,  the  outlines  of  which  have  been 
hammered  out  by  a  flint,  and  are  worn  the  colour  of  the  rock.  Over 
the  giraffe  an  Xlth  dynasty  inscription  has  been  cut,  the  characters  of 
which  still  look  fresh.    There  is  also  a  Greek  graffito  . .  A  . .  ANA. 

VI. 

(Plate  II.) 

This  is  a  large  and  deeply-incised  inscription  facing  the  river, 
on  a  boulder  a  few  yards  to  the  north  of  that  on  which  No.  V 
(PI.  II)  is  cut.  The  letters  are  not  those  of  the  Karian  alphabet,  the 
m  and  b  being  formed  differently,  and  were  it  not  for  the  form  of  the 
s  we  might  suppose  it  to  be  Lydian,  since  the  in  has  the  same  shape 
as  in  the  Lydian  inscription  found  two  miles  to  the  south  of  it 
{F.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  Plate  I,  i).  The  last  letter  but  one  must  be 
a  vowel,  not  th  as  in  Karian.  The  name  is  enclosed  in  a  sort  of 
cartouche,  so  that  the  m  which  introduces  it  must  represent  "I  (am)." 
The  name  reads  P-n-o-b-l-o  (?)-s  with  which  I  would  compare  the 
U(n'u(3\)]/iii's  of  the  Budrum  inscription. 

VII. 

(Plate  II.) 

This  is  on  a  broken  tombstone  from  Memphis  obtained  in  1905 
by  Mr.  Seymour  de  Ricci,  who  has  kindly  allowed  me  to  take  a 

173  p 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

copy  of  it.  The  stone  has  the  form  of  a  doorway,  the  inscription 
running  round  the  three  sides  of  it.  It  reads  :  .  .  .  r  (?)-a-l-a-dh  (?)- 
e-[u]  d-e-u-l-[a]-dh  (?)-e-u  a-o-v  .  .  .  The  nouns  ending  in  ii  are 
genitives.     Cp.  A-a-u-l-a-dh(?)-e,  Sayce,  IV,  26. 

VIII. 

(Plate  II.) 

This  is  on  another  stela,  doubtless  from  Memphis,  bought  at 
Giza  in  1905  by  M.  Capart,  who  has  been  so  good  as  to  let  me  copy 
it.  It  reads  :  M-e-y-v-o-w-u-6  R-a-v-ss-y-sh-a-a-w-wu-s  Gh-o-v-e-ii.  As 
there  is  a  space  between  7ney  and  Vowu'd^  mey  must  be  a  separate 
word  probably  meaning  "  I  (am)  "  like  m  in  No.  VI  (PI.  II).  The  last 
two  words  are  "  Ravssyshaawwus  the  son  of  Ghove"  (or  Ghova,  since 
the  genitive  of  Megula  is  Meguleii).^  Ravssyshaawwus,  which  is  a 
compound  of  ra  "  son  "  (which  appears  as  Kp-  in  Greek  transcriptions 
of  Karian  names),  shows  that  the  two  sibilants  which  I  have  identified 
in  my  alphabetic  table  (No.  24)  are  really  distinct.  The  name  may 
be  compared  with  that  of  R-a-vu-ii-ss-d-e-a-v-e-ii  or  R-a-vu-(ii)-ss-d-a 
(Savce,  IV,  24,  25)  and  the  Greek  Witvaaa-i^.  -Wits  may  be  the 
same  termination  as  -woz  in  Lowoz,  Erviioz,  Uwoz  (Ovuz-he) ;  cp. 
Lavus  at  Krya. 

IX. 

(Plate  II.) 

This  is  on  the  same  rock  as  No.  V.  Both  the  alphabet  and 
the  language  are  unknown  to  me.  The  inscription  may  belong  to 
the  Late  Roman  period. 

X. 
(Plate  II.) 

I  have  found  these  two  Aramaic  characters  cut  in  three  places 
on  the  rocks   of  a  sandstone  quarry  at  Assuan,    due    east  of  the 

1  We  have  U-y-gh-o-v-gh-o-v-e  in  the  Krya  inscription  (P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905): 
cp.  Ughiive,  Ughove,  Ueghuii,  Eghua,  Vaghuii,  Uaghav,  Vaghav,  and  the  Greek 
^Oywa.  At  Krya  I  think  we  ought  to  divide  s-l-vti-gh-o  (like  sl-modo,  "to  Apis," 
Sayce,  II,  3)  U-y-gh-o-v-gh-o-v-e  l-a-vu-s,  comparing  'Ci-yvyos,  Lycian  aghugha, 
and  the  Phrygian  aKtvavo-Xafos.  Since  dtivtigh  signifies  "he  has  consecrated" 
and  -ttgh  in  Nepugh  {P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  No.  II)  seems  to  be  the  suffix  of  a 
title,  it  is  possible  that  the  whole  inscription  should  be  translated:  "Thogovus 
the  priest  {)-eS-aviigh),  the  son  of  Uroreulva,  of  (or  to)  the  god  Ogygos  the 
minister."     ^V-wOiyi?  may  be  "  bull-god." 

174 


PLATE    II. 


Proc.  Sot.  Bibl.  Arch.,  June,  iqo6. 


z^4A  ^  -^- 


No.   V. 


r- 

0 


<1 

>  ^ 

r  ^ 

s 


0 

< 

O 

rr 


fv^(S^^oi^r) 


VA4 


No.  VI. 


o 

ax. 

e 


No.  VIII. 


H 


'cc^. 


\y 


^^r?^ 


^c'<^^ 


C  9T 


No.   IX. 


,  A 


^TiTT    VJ    A 


A 


y 


&p 


No.  X. 


No.  XI. 


June  13]  KARIAN  AND  OTHER   INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 

famous  "  obelisk."  They  were  intended  to  mark  the  ownership  or 
destination  of  the  stones  of  the  quarry,  and  the  Assuan  papyri  which 
I  have  been  editing  show  that  the  word  represented  by  them  is  n''i 
"house."  One  of  the  persons  who  figures  in  the  papyri  is  Phia  the 
"architect,"  and  the  quarry  may  have  been  selected  by  him. 

XL 

(Plate  II.) 

These  two  inscriptions  were  on  an  early  seal-cylinder  found  in 
Cyprus,  of  which  Dr.  Pierides  took  a  sealing-wax  impression  which 
he  gave  to  me,  some  thirty-five  years  afterwards,  in  December,  1880. 
The  inscription  to  the  right  is  Hittite,  that  to  the  left  is  in  an 
unknown  form  of  hieroglyphic  writing  which,  however,  somewhat 
resembles  that  of  Krete.  The  "  cartouche"  with  which  it  begins  is 
met  with  on  a  seal-cylinder  discovered  by  Dr.  Schliemann  at  Troy. 

Note. 

Several  of  the  vocalic  values  assigned  to  the  Karian  letters  in 
the  foregoing  transcriptions  differ  from  those  given  to  them  in  my 
Alphabet  of  1887.  The  latter  were  avowedly  makeshifts,  and  with 
the  increase  of  materials  I  have  been  able  to  approximate  more 
closely  to  the  actual  values  by  the  help  partly  of  a  comparison  of 
variant  forms  of  the  same  name,  partly  of  identifications  with  Karian 
names  in  Greek  inscriptions.  Thus  I-ii-l-o-vu-h-ss-o-i  (Sayce,  VI,  i) 
is  the  genitive  of  the  Budrum  'IXi'f//?,  U-z-o-gh-o-e  (VI,  2)  is 
'Oo-oy(I'(n),  Y-a-ss-a-a-v-e-ii  (IV,  26)  is  'laaaiov,  R-a-vu(also  y)-ii-sh- 
(d-e-a-v-ii)  is  'Apvaac^ts),  M-a-v-a-o-e-n  (II,  3)  is  Motjvuo^;  M-a-g-s-a-ii 
is  Mo^ov,  Lycian  Makhzza,  Mi-z-a-a  is  Me'o-o?,  Lycian  Mizu,  U-y-gh- 
o-v-gh-o-v-e  is  "0711709,  Lycian  Akhukha,  L-a-r-(o  n)  is  Ae'p(to<s), 
L-o-l-e-gh-a  is  the  singular  of  Ae\e769.  In  variant  forms  of  the  same 
word  a  interchanges  with  ci,  e,  and  B  (a),  l>  with  zv^y  with  //,  vu 
and  (in  suffixes)  9  and  corresponds  with  Greek  t»,  i  interchanges  with 
c,  ii  with  u,  o  and  Greek  a,  71  with  vc,  c,  ua,  va  and  vd,  0  with  eil  and 
ii  corresponding  with  Greek  e  and  o,  9  with  //,  7vii,  and  y  and 
corresponds  with  Greek  e.     In  ra  ''son"  for  rav  final  v  is  lost. 

The  nominative  of  the  noun  terminates  sometimes  in  a  consonant, 
n,  dh,  h,  z,  s,  more  frequently  in  a  vowel  a,  ci,  e,  /',  o,  0,  ii,y.  The  genitive 
singular  ends    in  //,   as  in  Meguleii   from    nom.   Megula,   where  a 

175  p  2 


JLNE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCII.LOLOGV.  [1906. 

becomes  r  before  /V,  Thuvloii  from  Tliovl,  or  Miiuu  the  nominative 
of  which  is  found  in  the  Greek  Mt'<^.-  By  the  side  of  Eghuaii  and 
Vaghuii,  however,  we  find  the  abbreviated  Eghua,  and  ra  Ss-gh-o, 
"  son  of  Sgho,"  replaces  Ss-gh-o-e-a-ii.  In  some  stems  -;/  follows  a 
consonant  without  the  intervening  e  and  a  ;  thus  we  have  Aovyoshij, 
Madsii,  Ra-ygethii,  Uro-reulvii,  Uvovii,  Migaovii,  Vehii  (cp.  Veaii). 
A  dative  sing,  ended  in  -0  and  -0.  The  adjective  followed  the 
noun.  Besides  the  suffix  -M  described  in  my  Paper  on  the  Karian 
Language  atid  Itiscriptiotjs  (1887),  we  find  a  suffix  -{o)n  as  in  Lar-on 
"  Lerian,"  and  also  a  suffix  -gh.  Thus  by  the  side  of  avnogh-he 
"the  dragoman"  (II,  3)  stands  aviinogh  {P.S.B.A.,  May,  1905). 
The  proper  name  Avnose,  Avnos  (IV,  16,  17,  18)  seems  to  belong 
to  the  same  root.  Nepugh  is  parallel  with  Lolegha  in  P.S.B.A., 
May,  1905  (No.  II),  and  perhaps  also  in  Savce,  I,  7  (Nsthup-on), 
and  Lolegha,  "  Lelegian,"  may  itself  be  an  example  of  the  same 
suffix.  Another  suffix  is  -nsos,  nsa,  in  Ss-9-gh-s-n-s-o-s  (I,  i),  Lereiido- 
nsa  (IV,  32),  and  the  Budrum  2/)«-/'o-oc,  where  the  name  of  the 
locality  may  reappear  in  the  names  S-r-a-a-ii-h-e  (I,  5)  and  Sereagane 
{F.S.B.A.,  May,  1905).  "We  find  the  suffix  -s?i  in  dhcgysfi — , 
"destroying" — -,  in  an  interesting  'bilingual'  inscription  on  a  bronze 
rat  now  in  the  Cairo  Museum.  It  was  first  published  by  M.  Daressy, 
in  the  Recueil  de  Travaux,  &■■€.,  X\TI,  p.  120,  where,  however,  some 
of  the  Karian  letters  are  incorrectly  copied,  and  later  by  myself  in 
F.S.B.A.,  May,  1905,  No.  III.  The  hieroglyphic  text  reads  :  "(To) 
Atum  the  great  god,  giver  of  life  (and)  health,  Sh-r-k-b-i-m-DET.  (of 
water),"  i.e.,  Sa-rakib-yama  "the  sea-rover."     The  Karian  text  is  : — 

R-a-v-y-1-e-o-n  dh-e-g-y-s-n-re-a-gh-o  9-gh  +  n-o  +  re-o-gh^  a-u-vu-gh, 
which  must  signify  "  Ravyleon  (cp.  Pantaleon  Hdt.,  I,  92)  to  the 
Rat-destroyer  this  rat  has  consecrated."  Atum  is  here  identified 
with  Apollo  Smintheus. 

The  suffix  -he  is  attached  to  the  genitive  ending  in  a  'bilingual' 
found  by  Daninos  Pasha  at  Abukir  and  published  by  him  in  the 
Recueil  de  Travaux,  XII,  p.  214.  The  name  in  the  hieroglyphics  is 
Petenit  Si-Karr,  i.e.,  Petenit,  son  of  a  Karian  ;  the  Karian  inscription 
reads  :  Me-g-gh-9-sh  A-th-a-v-e-ii-h-e.    Megghash  is  the  Maghosh  and 


-  Unless,  as  seems  more  prolablo  fiom  the  fact  that  it  is  preceded  by  a 
genitive,  Ravmiiii  (IV,  35),  viiiitii  is  merely  a  variant  spelling  of  niauii 
"  memorial." 

3  By  -I-  I  denote  a  minor  mark  rf  division  of  words  in  the  original. 

176 


June  13]  KARIAN-  AND   OTHER   INSCRIPTIONS.  [1906. 

Maghash  of  Sayce,  IV,  2,  3.  I  have  given  the  Karian  text  in 
P.S.B.A..  May,  1905,  No.  IV.     Magas  may  have  been  an  Atyad.^ 

Agh  and  no  are  demonstratives  {P.S.B.A.,  Nov.,  1894,  No.  I  and 
May,  1905,  and  Sayce,  I,  7).  They  are  combined  in  ?gh-no  above. 
Mey  is  probably  "  I  "  (above  No.  VIII). 

"I  am"  is  possibly  smi  {F.S.B.A.,  Nov.,  1894,  No.  I).  The 
third  (or  first  ?)  pers.  S.  of  the  verb  seems  to  have  terminated  in 
-gh;  e.g.,  thy-gh  (above  No.  I),  iiuvugh,  "has consecrated,"  and 
y-o-sh-v-o-s(<?/' m)-e  th-a-gh  y-o-d-a  y-o-ss-v-gh  (jP.^.^..^.,  May,  1895. 
and  May,  1905).  But  we  have  another  third  person  in  wugozcth 
(Sayce,  III)  and  witgozeth  sava  (II,  4),  which  perhaps  signifies 
"owns  the  tomb."  In  the  plural  we  have  mesara-ckethon,  "they 
have  written"  (?)  (I,  7).  Yodii  may  be  the  same  word  as  vedil  in 
II,  4,  where  the  meaning  may  be  :  nc  gha  vedil  "  whose  epitaph  (is) 
here."  Sava  is  the  aoua  "  tomb "  of  Stephanus  Byz.,  and  the 
compound  sav?i-vozheii  (or  savvu-vozhea)  in  II,  2,  can  scarcely  signify 
anything  else  than  "family  tomb."  In  this  case  it  is  probable  that 
oviizhe  in  II,  i,  is  merely  a  different  spelling  of  vozhe  and  has  the 
sense  of  "  family." 

•*  For   a   Karian    Mf7os   see    Ramsay  :     Cities  and  Bishoprics  of  Fhrygia  I, 
pp.  181-2,  and  cp.  //.,  XVI,  695. 


177 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


THE    BURGH    PAPYRUS. 

Transcribed,  Translated,  and  Annotated 
By  Prof.  Dr.  E.  Revillout. 

This  Hieratic  Papyrus,  already  quoted  by  me,  both  in  my 
Revue  egyptologique  and  in  my  Precis  de  droit  cgyptiefi,  and  the 
copy  of  which  was  obtained  for  me  by  my  regretted  friend 
Prof.  Aug.  Eisenlohr,  has  never  yet  been  published.  The  first  part 
of  it  is  of  special  interest  as  showing  us  an  '■'■Actio  sacramenti'^  in 
criminal  cases,  analogous  to  that  which  was  in  use  in  Roman  Civil 
Law  (a  solemn  oath  accompanied  by  the  deposit  of  a  sum  of  money, 
which  was  forfeited  if  the  cause  was  lost).  The  role  of  the  accuser, 
who  is  not  an  accomplice,  is  shown  more  clearly  than  in  the  other 
analogous  law-suits  which  have  come  down  to  us. 

Lastly,  there  is  the  question  of  a  word  which  frequently  occurs, 
and  which  seems  to  me  to  be  evidently  Greek — the  word  xuXkiov, 
and  that  in  the  XXIst  dynasty.  Does  it  refer  to  the  money  called 
"  Caique  "  ^  at  a  later  period  ?  or  to  certain  vases  having  the  same 
name  ?  What  is  certain  is  that  the  robbers  took  oidetis  of  silver, 
and  that  they  deposited  with  a  man,  who  was  not  one  of  the 
accused,  oittens  of  silver  coins  which  the  treasure  also  contained. 


/^AAA^A 


n  n         n 
„  o  I 

W  I    1    I   I  /■/^^/%A  I    I    I  /w-^vAA,     c::^      \\ 


(i)    I  ^  II    ....    r-w-i  -v^/^    O  ;  ■  ■  ■    O  I 


n^f^  ^  ^^^4l1^  "^^ 


n 
^^"^^ 


^  The  r,'gth  part  of  the  classic  "Drachma."     It  is  true  that  at  Bysance,  etc., 
much  more  important  "  Caiques  "  were  minted. 

178 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  June,  1906. 


a 

0) 

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1) 

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a, 

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0 

0 

u 

OJ 

OJ 

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C. 

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u 

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(U 

0 

;-( 

3 

rt 

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43 

^      OJ      u 


C      1)      0) 

"S-H  .2 


r. 


% 

-a 


a  3 


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L.\-^ 


vJ- 


// 


-  ^  fi 

I  .-  e   r 
^      -i.  s: 


a 


'J    'i.  mrr  13Ho1^o-t^^■•1e'^<fl^^{3y*TV/S^t.■^1^^''^    ►  ^ 


< 

5 

H 

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< 
H 

a 
-1 
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w 

P3 
H 


THE  BURGH  PAPYRUS. 


[1906. 


June  13] 


(iii)  <^:^  [n  j  cm 


n  n 


lfiP^#.-"l 


(^ 


I  I  I 
I 


(iv) 


T  /wvw. a  ^    ^  W  1  /wwvA    I  U  im     0.1 


(3   (0 


.v^^     n  n  n  n  1 1 1 
-^^^ — --C'nnnniii 


l|r^f) 


H^s^i^^^-n^^^i 


iQ^PE^q 


J-M^rr. 


e 


a a 


(2 
III 


^(^^^^^  (vi)^n|c:3^ 


(2 


n  n  ^  ^^^l 


"^ 


(3  \> 


A/vwv\  j3  n  n 

—"'^^         isjsr^N\i\         III  III 


l^q^-l 


W^.uiQ 


CTD 


^.^ 


^wq^:k(t)rj 


AAAAA^ 
/SA/W\A 
AA/WVA 


?> 


"  The  signs  of  the  fractions  are  here  similar  to  those  of  the  demotic  3  i     4^  ^. 
Many  of  the  forms  also  need  a  transition  of  epoch,  as  in  the  XXIst  dynasty. 
W 

179 


For 


(3. 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGV. 


[1906. 


(3 


AAA.VVA    nn  n 

_SVs,  /wwvv  11(1(1 


I '  II     n 


Q 


[%rtC^ 


nnn 


=  ,M,n1'^;<->ll.0'^il 


(^ 


"^^^  V  ^  (^  ^— ii 


f\ 


(^ 


^-^S_.CV^: 


nn^^^^^^ 


n  n 


"Year  2,  4th  month  of  smu,  day  23rd.  On  this  day  was  made  the 
examination  of  the  gold  and  silver  stolen  from  the  sanctuary  of 
Ra-user-ma-meri-Amen,  money  concerning  which  the  divine 
Father  Amen-mes,  of  the  district  of  this  sanctuary,  has  made  a 
Report  to  the  Pharaoh,  The  affair  was  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  prefect  of  the  town  Dj'a  Ra-neb-nextu,  of  the  steward  of  the 
treasure  of  the  Pharaoh,  steward  of  the  granaries  the  Royal 
officer  Ra-men-ma-nextu,  and  of  the  steward  of  the  palace  the 
Royal  Officer  Inua,  to  make  their  examination  in  the  Royal 
dwelling  of  the  "  millions  of  years "  of  this  sanctuary.  They 
made  their  Report  of  86  silver  x"^*^'"  being  ascertained  ^  to 

<  [1  ^  «  ^w-^  ,  "  to  draw,"  "  to  bring  into  the  light." 
i8c 


June  13]  THE  BURC.II  TAPYRUS.  [1906. 

be  missing, s  which  have  been  stolen,  and  with  regard  to  which 
the  divine  Father  of  the  Fraternity  ^  of  the  sanctuary  made  his 
Report  (or  his  claim)  to  the  Pharaoh.  He  (the  Dja)  said  : 
'  The  man  who  caused  them  to  be  stolen  has  not  been  seen.' 
He  (the  divine  Father)  said  :  '  It  is  the  steward  of  the  Treasury, 
Sute^nies,  who  had  the  place  of  steward  of  the  lands,  who  has 
taken  them.  He  has  stolen  26  yjCf^Kia,  the  steward  of  the 
Royal  palace  of  the  sanctuary.  He  cut  off  (took  away)  in 
silver  i  outen  \  \.  He  stole  them  with  the  divine  Father  Ima, 
the  priests  and  chief  guardians  of  the  sanctuary,  Roanina, 
Emtexuu,  Rames.  They  took  (his  accomplices)  60  -xiAkui. 
They  cut  off  (took  away)  3  outen  \  of  silver.  Total  5  outen. 
There  remains  in  silver  36  outen.  They  entrusted  that  to  the 
guardian  Uraa.     They  got  the  yjuXKia  as  profit. 

"He  (the  divine  Father)  was  made  to  entreat  (invoke)  the 
name  of  the  king.  He  was  made  to  deposit  the  tenth  part  of 
an  outen  (one  kati)  in  his  dwelling.  Then  the  Pharaoh  made 
them  apprehend  the  five  criminals  together,  forthwith,  in  the 
sanctuary.  He  went  to  the  sanctuary,  the  divine  Father  (the 
accuser)  with  the  man  (the  accused)  to  say  what  had  been 
stolen." 

The  accuser  referred  to  was  roused  by  this  first  result ;  for  the 
rest  of  the  papyrus,  which  I  will  give  soon,  relates  that  later  on 
he  made  other  analogous  revelations. 


«  Cf. 

^  The  word  "fraternity  "  is  interesting.  We  find  it  again  in  the  treaty  between 
Rameses  11  and  the  Khetas,  concluded  with  the  object  of  establishing  the  peace 
{hotcp)  and  brotherhood  between  the  two  empires.  In  the  Babylonian  contracts 
relating  to  a  commercial  society,  the  word  corresponding  to  akhiitii  has  the  same 
meaning.  That  reminds  one  of  a  sort  of  corporation  or  syndicate  of  the  servants 
of  the  sanctuary.  But  this  would  perhaps  be  a  very  rash  conclusion.  In  the 
Ethiopian  epoch  the  word  "my  brother"  is  addressed  by  the  priest  in  the 
marriage  ceremony.     (See  my  Corpus papyioruiii  Ai.gypti.) 


:8r 


June  13] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AUCH.tOLOGV. 


[1906. 


A  HEBREW  AMULET  AGAINST  DISEASE. 
By  W.  L.  Nash,  F.S.A. 

The  words  of  this  amulet  or  charm  (see  Plate),  which 
belongs  to  Dr.  Gaster,  are  written  in  the  form  of  two  interlaced 
triangles,  the  ("shield  of  David,")  enclosed  within  a  circle,  with 
six  other  incomplete  circles  abutting  on  the  sides  of  the  triangles. 
The  inscription  takes  so  devious  a  path  as  it  forms  the  various  parts 
of  the  figure,  that  it  is  difficult  to  follow ;  I  have  therefore  given  a 
sort  of  key-plan  to  assist  the  reader. 

The  amulet  is  written  on  vellum,  and  intended  to  be  carried  on 
the  person.  Dr.  Gaster  tells  me  that  it  is  of  the  end  of  the  i8th 
century,  but  is  clearly  a  copy  of  a  much  older  one.  It  was  evidently 
written  in  the  East  by  a  Sephardic  Rabbi  or  Kabbalist. 

In  the  following  translation  of  the  text  of  the  amulet  the 
numbers  in  the  margin  refer  to  the  corresponding  numbers  in  the 
key-plan. 

■  ]\Iay  it  please  Thee,  IHVH,  my  God  and  the  God  of  my 
fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac  and  the 
God  of  Jacob,  the  great  God,  the  mighty  and  fearful 
one,  the  God 

(2)  Elyon,  father  of 

(3)  mercies, 

(4)  dwelling 

(5)  between  the  Cherubim, 

(6)  tabernacling 

(7)  between  the  Living  Creatures^ 

(8)  and  the  Cherubim, 

(9)  ruling  over 

(10)  those  above 

(11)  and  having  power 

(12)  over  those  below, 

(13)  that  Thou  shouldest  command 


(i)< 


^  See  Ezek.  i,  5. 
182 


(24)  { 


June  13]  A  HEBREW  AMULET  AGAINST  DISEASE.  [1906. 

(14)  Thy  angels 

(15)  the  holy  ones, 

(16)  and  the  pure, 

(17)  who  are  set  over 

(18)  the  affairs  of 

(19)  the  sons  of  men, 

J- that  they  shall   keep  and  deliver  and  protect  the  girl 
^"  '^  \      Kresia,  who  was  born  of  Esiher, 

r  bearer  of  this  cameo  (i;"^^p)  upon  her,  from  every  evil 
^^^^  \      thing,  and  from  all  evil  diseases,  from  pestilence, 

rand    from  plague,  and    from  sword   and  hunger,   from 
(22) <       strange  death    and   from    croup,  and    from    epileptic 

L     fits — far  be  it 

rfrom    us — and    falling   sickness,   and    from    ghosts,  and 
(23)  «^       male  and  female  destroyers  (pTII?),  male  and  female 

L     Lilin — far  be  they 
from  us — and  from  evil  eye  ;  like  Joseph  the  righteous, 
as  it  is  written,  "  Joseph  is  a  fruitful  bough, 

reven  a  fruitful  bough   by  a  fountain."     From  all  may 
(25)  «^       deliver  her  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  from  now  and  for 

L     ever,  Amen.     Selah. 

Outer  Square. 

(Commencing  at  the  bottom  right  hand.) 

Behold,  I  send  the  angel  SHAMRIEL  before  thee  to  keep  thee 
in  the  way  and  to  bring  thee  to  the  place  which  I  have  prepared 
for  thee  there.  The  angel  of  IHVH  encampeth  round  about  those 
that  fear  him,  and  delivereth  them.  Hear,  O  Israel :  The  Lord 
our  God  is  one  Lord.  Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  glory  of 
His  kingdom  for  ever  and  ever. 

Inner  Square. 

IHVH,  El  Shaddai  of  Hosts,  help  ;  the  king  shall  answer  us 
when  we  call  (upon  him). 

And  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  see  that  the  name  of  the 
Lord  is  called  upon  thee ;  and  they  shall  be  afraid  of  thee. 

IHVH,  El  Shaddai  of  Hosts  is  with  us.  The  God  of  Jacob 
is  our  refuge,  Selah. 

1 8-. 


Ji'NE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

IHVH,  El  Shaddai  of  Hosts — blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in 
Thee. 

In  the  centre  of  the  double  triangle  is  the  sacred  name  Din^; 
and  between  the  angles  is  the  word  "'T^  Shaddai,  repeated  six 
times  with  the  letters  interchanged.  Within  the  circles  are  words 
containing  forty-eight  letters,  of  which  forty-two  are  the  letters  of 
one  of  the  Names  substituted  for  the  "  Ineffable  Name "  which 
might  never  be  uttered.-  They  are  the  acrostics  of  a  number  of 
verses,'^  and  the  last  six  are  the  acrostic  of  a  doxology  already 
once  fully  written  out  in  this  charm. — See  the  last  sentence  of 
the  translation  of  the  Outer  Square,  above. — The  figure  containing 
the  charm  is  surrounded  by  a  double  square  of  inscription,  and 
across  the  corners  of  the  inner  square  are  written  the  names  of 
the  archangels  Michael,  Gabriel,  Raphael  and  Uriel.  Below  these 
four  names  are  the  letters  Aleph,  Gimel,  Lamed,  and  Aleph,  which 
form  the  tetragrammaton  AGLA.* 

I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  A.  E.  Sufifrin,  Dr.  Gaster,  and 
Mr.  E.  J.  Pilcher,  for  much  assistance  in  preparing  this  account  of 
the  Amulet. 

-  See  Gaster,  "  The  Sword  of  Moses,"  London,  1896,  page  10. 
^  See  Gaster,   The  Book  of  Prayer  according  to  the  Custom  of  the  Spanish 
and  Portttgiiese  Jews.     London,  1901.     Vol.  I,  p.  11. 
^  This  word  is  really  an  acrostic,  as  follows  : — - 

nnX  Thou  art 

"inJ  Mighty 

CT'iy?  for  ever 

^:iis'  O  Lord. 


184 


June  13]      rOSITION  OF  TAUSERT  IN  XIXth  DYNASTY.  [1906. 


THE  POSITION  OF  TAUSERT  IN  THE  XIXth  DYNASTY. 
Bv  E.  R.  Ayrton. 

Hitherto  the  supposition  that  Tausert  was  a  daughter  of  Sety  II 
and  wife  of  Si-ptah  has  been  generally  accepted,  a  supposition  which 
principally  rests  on  the  fact  that  in  the  tomb  of  Tausert  the 
cartouches  of  Si-ptah  have  been  cut  over  those  of  Sety  II. 

It  has  therefore  been  thought  that  the  tomb  was  commenced 
during  the  reign  of  Sety  II  and  that  Si-ptah,  on  his  marriage  with 
Tausert,  placed  his  own  cartouches  there,  and  was  buried  in  the  same 
tomb  as  his  wife. 

The  tomb  of  Si-ptah  has  however  been  discovered  in  the  valley 
of  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  tomb  of  Tausert  was  begun  during  the 
reign  of  Sety  II,  since  on  both  walls  of  the  first  corridor  we  see  this 
king  making  offerings  to  a  deity,  the  queen  standing  behind  him. 
These  scenes  belong  to  the  first  work  of  the  tomb.  Tausert  is  in  all 
parts  of  the  tomb  given  the  titles  of  "  Heiress,  great  royal  wife,  lady 
of  the  two  lands,  princess  of  the  North  and  South."  These  titles 
show  no  signs  of  having  been  reworked,  and  as  they  occur  on  the 
entrance  and  in  the  very  first  scenes,  they  must  belong  to  the  first 
executed  sculptures  in  the  tomb ;  that  is  to  say,  they  were  cut  during 
the  reign  of  Sety  II. 

Tausert  must  therefore  be  the  wife  of  Sety  II ;  had  she  been  his 
daughter,  the  title  of  "  great  royal  wife  "  would  have  been  inserted 
later  over  the  title  of  "royal  daughter,"  &c.,  and  this  could  not  have 
been  done  in  every  case  without  some  traces  of  the  original  work 
showing  beneath. 

The  names  of  Tausert  and  Si-ptah  appear  together  on  a  scarab.^ 
This  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  she  was  his  wife.  As  queen- 
mother  she  would  probably  have  considerable  influence  at  court.  She 
may  even  have  reigned  alone  for  a  short  time  before  Si-ptah  came 

^  Fraser,  Scarabs,  315. 
185 


June  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILEOLOGY.  [1906. 

to  the  throne,  since  on  an  ostrakon  found  in  her  temple  at  Thebes 
she  is  called  "  monarch  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt.- 

In  the  (funerary)  temple  of  Tausert  there  is  no  evidence  of 
Si-ptah,  and  the  objects  found  cannot  have  been  contemporaneous 
since  they  are  dissimilar.  Prof.  Petrie  remarks  {loc.  cit.,  p.  16), 
"  the  glazing  of  Si-ptah  is  poorer  than  that  of  Tausert,  being  dull 
pea-green  instead  of  indigo-blue,  .  .  the  workmanship  is  rougher 
and  more  careless."  A  scarab  of  Tausert  was  found  in  one  of  the 
foundation  deposits  of  Si-ptah. 

The  mother  of  Amenmeses  was  Takhat.^  On  a  statue  of  Sety  II 
a  queen  Takhat  is  mentioned,  and  since  there  is  no  reason  to  the 
contrary,  we  may  consider  her  to  be  the  same  person. 

This  Takhat  has  no  titles  except  those  of  "  royal  daughter,  great 
royal  wife,"  whereas  Tausert  has  the  full  titles  of  the  heiress  of  the 
kingdom  ;  and  therefore  Si-ptah  would  naturally  have  a  prior  right 
to  the  throne  before  Amenmeses. 

The  illustration  here  given  is  from  a  photograph  taken  in  the 
tomb  of  Tausert,  and  shows  the  substitution  of  cartouches  very 
clearly.* 

All  of  this  agrees  very  well  with  my  view  of  the  relationship 
between  Tausert  and  Sety  II. 

The  history  now  seems  to  read  as  follows  : — 

Sety  II  marries  Tausert,  who  begins  her  tomb  and  temple  at 
Thebes.  On  the  death  of  Sety  II  Tausert  reigns  independently  for 
a  short  time.  The  throne  is  then  usurped  by  Amenmeses.  Later 
Bai  heads  an  insurrection,  and  dethroning  Amenmeses,  puts  Si-ptah, 
whom  we  must  suppose  to  be  the  son  of  Tausert,  on  the  throne. 

-  Petrie,  Six  Temples,  xix,  2. 

•'  Lepsius,  Denk.,  iii,  202  f. 

^  Lepsius  {Denk.,  iii,  201  B)  published  a  copy  of  this  scene. 


186 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  June,  1906. 


Wall-carving  in  the  tomb  of  Tausert,  at  Thebes. 


June  13] 


NOTE  ON  THE  BOSS  OF  TARKUTIMME. 


[1906. 


NOTE   ON   THE    BOSS    OF   TARKUTIMME. 

By  E.  SiBREE,  M.A. 

The  apparent  order    of  the   symbols  in  this  inscription   is   as 
follows : — 


1 

1 

2 

2 

3 

3 

4 

4 

5 

5 

6 

6 

Nos.  I,  2  on  the  right  are  to  be  read  first,  as  indicated  by  the 
direction  of  the  animal's  head ;  Nos.  3,  4,  on  the  other  hand,  are 
to  be  taken  next,  as  shown  by  the  oblique  stroke  in  3,  which 
in  other  inscriptions  stands  behind  the  symbol  to  which  it  is 
attached.  The  fact  that  Nos.  3,  4  face  the  opposite  way  to 
Nos.  I,  2,  shows  us  that  3,  4  is  a  word  distinct  from  i,  2,  the 
latter  being  held  to  represent  the  name  "Tarkutimme."  No.  5 
is  the  symbol  for  "  country."  All  the  symbols  behind  the  king 
face  the  same  wviy.  No.  3  is  identical  with  the  same  symbol  in 
J.  ii,  where  it  occurs  in  the  name  "Carchemish,"  and  is  thought 
to  represent  a  sound  containing  the  consonant  "m."  Now  3,  4 
occupy  the  position  held  by  the  sheep  or  lamb's  head  in  J.  ii,  and 
the  latter  symbol  we  have  assumed  to  have  the  value  oiinun  or  ic-mun 
{^Proceedings^  XXVIII,  27,  1906).  No.  3  therefore  may  represent  the 
initial  sound  of  miin^  4  representing  a  sound  containing  an  "n."  We 
might  then  read  3,  4  provisionally  as  mu-iin  =  imin  "  king."     The 

187 


JL-NE  13]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^OLOGV.  [1906. 

oblique  stroke  in  3  may  perliaps  be  identical  with  the  short  perpendicu- 
lar stroke  in  Egyptian,  cf.  J  |  {hw)  by  the  side  of  J  {b),  hence  3  may- 
be read  jhu  by  tlie  side  of  ||  ||  which  may  perhaps  be  read  m  or  me. 
No.  6  would  represent  the  sound  er  or  ei-i^  for  the  following  reasons. 
Taking  the  cuneiform  symbols  from  break  to  break,  we  may  read 
them  : — 

Me-e  Tar-ku-u-tim-me  SAR  IMAT  Er  or  Eri 
I  {am)  Tarki/fif?i?iie,  king  0/  f  he  land  of  Er 

if,  as  is  probable,  the  cuneiform  inscription  and  the  hieroglyphic 
symbols  are  both  in  the  Hittite  language.  Again,  the  cuneiform 
symbol  >^yy  compared  with  ^^  ($//),  linear  Jk    would  seem  to 

imply  a  linear  form  A  "tiara"  by  the  side  of  rl—  "city,"  both 
having  a  common  phonetic  value  e?;  cf.  ^TTT^y  inir  "tiara." 


188 


June  13]  LE  NOM  DU  PSCHENT.  [1906. 


LE    NOM    DU    PSCHENT 
Par  Prof.  Paul  Pierret. 


L'orthographe  normale  du  nom  du  Pschent  est  YJ   que 

I'Inscription  de  Rosette  interprete  V^x^"'^  en  restituant  I'article 
{p.    skhent).       Dans    la    st^le    de    Tombos    nous    le   voyons    ecrit 

M  n\J   a.u  lieu  de  y  YJ  i^^'  Zeit^<^hr.  filr  dgypt.  Sprache, 

1868,  p.  103).  Remarquons  que  le  signe  initial  est  le  sistre,  ce  qui 
nous  sollicite  a  examiner  de  pres  la  formation  du  nom  du  sistre  en 
meme  temps  que  celle  du  nom  du  pschent.^  J'avais  pense  (ainsi 
que  M.  J.  Baillet,  dans  son  interessant  memoire  public  dans  le 
Joufnal  Asiatique  de  Septembre-Octobre,   1904.  p.  316),  que   Ton 

devait  rapprocher  le  mot  skhent  du  theme  verbal    I     |  |  "embrasser, 

reunir,"  puisque  le  pschent  est  la  reunion  de  la  couronne  blanche  et 
de  la  couronne  rouge,  mais  l'orthographe  sekhti  ci-dessus  repousse 
cette  hypothese.     Sekhti  qui  sert  ici  a  e'crire  le  nom  du  pschent  sert 

quelquefois   aussi  a  ecrire   le   nom   du   sistre   y  M  (qu'il  faut 

peut-etre  lire  sekh-sekh  en  admettant  que  soit  une  notation  de 
reduplication) ;  sekhti,  dis-je,  suppose  un  th^me  simple  sekh,  durcisse- 

^  Constatons  en  passant  que  y  :=   S  a  du  avoir  la  valeur  bilit^re     I  ®  en 
meme  temps  que  la  valeur  trilitere     I  ®  ^^\     sans  quoi  il  faudrait  (ce  que  font 

n  #  ^ 

certains  savants)  lire  Sekhemtt  le  nom  y  Jl  de  la  deesse  leontocephale  Sekhet. 
Or  a  la  page  1 107  du  Supplement  de  son  Dictionnaire  Brugsch  enseigne  qu'il  faut 
lire  sekh  et  non  sekhemekh  le  groupe  y  r. 


June  13]  SOCIETV  OF   BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

ment  du  theme  M  que  prt^sente  la  Stl-le  du  Songe.     De  mcme 

sekhti  pschent  serait  un  redoublement  d'un  theme  sckh  durcissement 
de  "Ttx  '     1 1   w   I  ^ ,   "chevekire,  coiffure,"   le    pschent    etant    la 

coiffure  par  excellence.- 

"  Le  nom  du  I'schcnt  sckhen  a  Denderah  et  dans  Rosette  ne  serait  qu'un 
developpement    par    n    du    theme   sckh,    de   meme   que  J\    est    devenu 

devenu  "^^""^^L^O,    ffi  "^x      11  "^^^  devenu 


The  next  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
VN'^edncsdny,  November  14th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following   Paper  will  be  read  : — 

F.  Leg-ge,  Esq.:  "The   Tablets   of  the   First    Egyptian 
Dynasty  " 

190 


Proc.  Soc.  Bib  I.  Arch.,  June,  1 906. 


0.    D- 


2   » 


^    9. 


c     cu    u 

o-H  .S 


O 
3-   ^ 


/     i»»6 


.>fi^^ 


>i 


i    I 


S 


r    J* 


•J    u 


'^-^.^ 


rv. 


''     > 


1^ 

r  53 


"5t 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE     SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL    ARCHEOLOGY. 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,    1906. 


Sixtli  Meetings  November  yth,  1906. 
Prof.  A.  H.  SAYCE,  D.D.  {President), 


IN     THE     CHAIR. 


[No.  ccxiii.]  191  R 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : — 

From  the  Author,  I'Abbe  Leroy. — "Les  Israelites  en  Egypte — 
I'Exode." 

From  the  Author,  J.  J.  Grinyer. — "  Bible  Chronology "  and 
"A  Chronological  Introduction  to  the  New  Testament." 

From  the  Author,  Dr.  M.  Caster.  —  "  Massoretisches  im 
Samaritanischen." 

From  W.  L.  Nash. — "  Operations  and  Travels  in  Egypt  and 
Nubia."     By  G.  Belzoni. 

From  Mrs.  Honyman  Gillespie's  Trustees. — "The  Arguments  a 
priori  for  the  Being  and  the  Attributes  of  the  Lord  God."  By 
the  Late  W.  H.  Gillespie. 

From  the  Author,  the  Rev.  John  Wright,  Z).Z).—  "  Historic  Bibles 
in  America." 

From  the  Author,  Prof.  A.  Wiedemann. — "  Altagyptische    Sagen 

und  Marchen." 
J,       „  ,,  ,,  „  "  Die  Zeichenkunst  im 

alten  Agypten." 

From  the  Publishers.^ — "Lectures  on  Babylonia  and  Palestine." 
By  Dr.  Stephen  Langdon. 


Mr.  E.  R.  Ayrton  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  Society. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

F.  Legge,  Esq.  :  "The  Tablets  of  the  First  Egyptian  Dynasty." 
Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 

192 


Nov.  7]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 


THE    CHEDOR-LAOMER    TABLETS. 
By  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  D.D. 


Eleven  years  ago  Dr.  Pinches  made  an  important  disco\ery. 
He  copied  and  deciphered  certain  tablets  in  the  British  Museum 
which  referred  to  a  destruction  of  Babylon  and  its  temple  in  the 
early  days  of  Babylonian  history.  He  further  pointed  out  that  the 
destruction  was  said  to  have  been  brought  about  by  an  Elamite 
king,  whose  name  could  be  read  Kudur-laghgumar,  and  since  two 
other  princes,  Tudghula  and  Eri-Aku,  are  associated  with  him  in 
the  story,  we  must  see  in  the  three  princes,  the  Chedor-laomer, 
Tid'al  and  Arioch  of  the  14th  chapter  of  Genesis.  Unfortunately 
the  reading  of  the  name  of  the  Elamite  king  proposed  by  Dr.  Pinches 
could  not  be  demonstrated,  and  still  more  unfortunately  Dr.  Scheil, 
about  the  same  time,  misread  some  letters  of  Khammurabi,  in  which 
he  fancied  he  had  found  the  name  of  Chedor-laomer.  The  result 
was  that  the  non-Assyriological  pubHc  confounded  the  discover)-  of 
Dr.  Pinches  with  the  error  of  Dr.  Scheil,  and  was  led  to  suppose 
that  both  stood  on  the  same  precarious  footing.  It  is  time  that  this 
mistake  should  be  rectified,  and  since  I  can  now  show  that  the 
reading  of  the  name  of  the  Elamite  king  proposed  by  Dr.  Pinches 
is  really  correct,  while  the  progress  of  Assyriology  has  made  it 
possible  to  give  a  better  and  more  complete  translation  of  the  texts 
than  was  in  his  power  in  1894,  I  purpose  to  lay  before  you  a  revised 
rendering  of  the  latter,  adding  to  it  the  necessary  notes  and  historical 
inferences.  The  cuneiform  texts  will  be  found  attached  to 
Dr.  Pinches'  Paper :  "  Certain  Inscriptions  and  Records  referring 
to  Babylonia  and  Elam"  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Victoria 
Institute,  1895-6,  pp.  43-90. 

193  R  2 


Xov.  7]  SOCIETV  OF  1U15LICAL  ARCII.-EOLOG V.  [1906. 

The  texts,  which  come  from  the  Spartali  collection,  are  all  of  late 
date.  This  is  clear  from  their  language  and  style,^  and  more 
especially  from  the  rebus-like  fashion  in  which  the  proper  names 
are  written.  But  at  the  back  of  them  lies  the  old  history  of 
Babylonia.  The  Babylonians  seem  never  to  have  adopted  the 
historical  novel  which  was  such  a  favourite  among  the  Egyptians  ; 
in  the  place  of  it  we  find  poems  of  a  semi-religious  character.  It  is 
some  of  these  poems  which  are  presented  to  us  by  the  texts. 

Before  translating  the  texts,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  deal  with 
the  royal  names.  These  are  three  in  number,  to  which  perhaps  a 
fourth,  that  of  Khammu-rabi,  should  be  added.  Chief  among 
them  is  the  name  of  the  king  of  Elam,  "the  wicked  enemy," 
who    wrought   such    havoc    in    Babylon.       The    name    is    written 

T     ©     ©     ©     ^T    '^•-'d     I     ©     ©     I^     I&     :??y,     KU-KU-KU-MAR 

and  KU-KU-KU-KU-j\iAR.  About  the  reading  of  the  first  two 
characters  there  is  little  question  ;  we  find  them  used  in  proper 
names  to  express  the  Elamite  word  Ku-dur.  What,  however,  is  the 
value  of  the  third  ku,  which  is  found  also  in  a  reduplicated  form? 
Of  one  thing  we  may  be  sure ;  in  a  late  neo-Babylonian  text  the 
thrice-repeated  sign  will  be  employed  with  three  different  values, 
and  as  the  first  is  the  most  common  one,  ku,  while  the  second  is 
the  less  common  dur,  the  value  of  the  third  will  be  one  which  is 
comparatively  rare.  It  will  be  a  value,  moreover,  which  belongs  to 
the  character  in  both  its  single  and  its  double  form. 

Now  Dr.  Pinches  has  already  pointed  out  a  passage  in  which 
TEJ  is  stated  to  have  had  the  value  of  lakh-Jzha.  This  is  in  a  gloss 
attached  by  the  Assyrian  scribe  to  an  ofticial  memorandum  of 
Sennacherib's  defeat  of  Merodach-baladan,  where  "the  country  of 
EME-KU "  or  Sumer  is  said  to  have  had  the  pronunciation  of 
Eme-lakh-kha.  That  is  to  say,  ku  had  among  its  other  values  that 
of  lakh-kha.  The  memorandum  is  published  in  JV.A.I.,  Ill,  4,  4, 
but  t:yyy<  lakk  has  been  misprinted  ^]]]^  gcr,  which  has  naturally 
prevented  scholars  who  had  not  seen  the  original  from  understanding 
the  gloss. 

The  gloss  is  an  important  one,  since  eme-lakhkha  was  the  name 
given  by  the  native  grammarians  to  the  standard  dialect  of  Sumer, 
in  contradistinction  to  etne-sal,  the  name  of  another  dialect  which 

'  Thus,  Noitliciu  Ijahylonia  is  called  Kar-Duniyas,  a  name  which  did  not 
come  into  existence  until  after  the  rise  of  the  Kassite  dynasty. 

194 


Nov.  7]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 

Avas  in  a  much  more  advanced  stage  of  phonetic  decay."  As  has 
long  been  recognised,  one-sal  means  "the  woman's  language,"  a 
name  best  explained  by  "the  woman's  dialects"  which  are  met 
with  in  several  parts  of  the  linguistic  world,  as,  for  example,  among 
the  Eskimaux.  But  the  meaning  of  cme-lakliklia  has  hitheito 
remained  obscure. 

I  can  now,  however,  give  an  explanation  of  it.  In  80,  7-19,  129 
we  have  ^^  ^^W  (.^f  A^W  Wr  I  B  -%  D.P.  zir-  (or 
mus-)  lakh  ^=  zir/ak/ik/in,  or  vuislakhkhii,  "a  snake-charmer,"  as 
was  first  observed  by  Dr.  Bezold  in  1889.  Ziriu)  was  "snake"  in 
Assyrian,  but  it  may  have  been  mus  in  Sumerian,  since  Dr.  Pinches 
tells  me  that  in  W.A.I.  II,  32,  33,  where  the  Assyrian  word  for  "  snake- 
charmer"  is  again  given  under  the  form  of  '^>-y^<  J^  ^^  -^'"•^ITf ""!]!.' 
the  second  character  is  probably  sii?  In  this  case  we  should  have 
to  read  mus-sii-la-akh-khi .  If  the  printed  text  is  right  J^  will  be 
lakh,  with  the  reading  zir-lakhlakhkhii  (unless  la-akh  is  to  be 
regarded  as  merely  indicating  the  pronunciation  of  J^). 

It  follows  that  J^  with  the  pronunciation  of  lakhkha  had  the 
signification  of  "enchanter"  or  "charmer."  It  was  thus  an  ap- 
propriate title  for  a  language  which  was  mainly  employed  in  the 
literary  days  of  Babylonia  for  charms  and  incantations,  and  which 
was,  in  fact,  quite  specially  the  language  of  the  magician.  Parallel 
dialects,  according  to  81,  7-27,  130,  were  eme-sib  eme-ses  (?)  |  //- 
sa-an  ni-sak-ki  li-sa-an  \pa-si-si\  "the  language  of  the  sacrificer 
(and)  the  language  of  the  anointer."  These  would  have  been  forms 
of  Sumerian  monotoned  in  particular  keys,  perhaps  with  a  peculiar 
pronunciation  of  certain  sounds  and  words. 

If  the  third  ku  in  the  name  of  Kudur-lakhkhamar  had  the  value 
of  lakh  or  lakhkha^  an'explanation  is  afforded  of  the  fact  that  in  two 
instances  it  is  duplicated  in  our  texts.  The  ordinary  representative 
of  the  syllable  lakh  was  a  duplicated  du ;  ku  with  the  value  lakh 
was  accordingly  assimilated  to  du  when  the  latter  had  the  same 
value.  That  ku  could  be  used  with  the  value  of  (hi  (from  dnr) 
may  have  assisted  the  process  of  assimilation.     It  should  be  added 

'"  That  eine-sal  was  the  dialect  of  Akkad,  or  northern  Babylonia,  where  the 
Semites  gained  a  footing  at  a  much  earlier  date  than  in  Sumer,  follows  from 
81.  7-27,  130.  6,  7:  EME-KU  NIN  SUG-GA  eme-[sal]  :  H-sa-au  Sll-l)lC-ri 
tam-sil  Ak-ka-\di\  "  the  language  of  Sumer  is  like  that  of  Akkad." 

''  Cf.  Meissner,  Assyriologische  Studieii  III,  p.  2. 


iSOv.  7j  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGV.  [1906. 

that  KU-GiG  is  rendered  "  a  maleficent  charm "  {jnusaru  maruis) 
in  W.A.I.  II,  27,  53,  and  that  ku  with  the  pronunciation  us  is 
given  as  the  Sumerian  equivalent  oi  dhnnu  "decision"  (Briinnow, 

10557)-' 

The  gradation  in  the  rarity  of  use  of  the  values  ku,  dur  and 
lakhkha,  and  the  interchange  of  the  duplicated  with  the  single  form 
of  the  character  ku,  make  it  clear  that  the  name  of  the  Elamite 
king  is  intended  to  be  read  Ku-dur-lakhkha-mar.  Tiiis  is  an  exact 
equivalent  of  the  Hebrew  Chedor-la'omer,  the  Elamite  Kudur- 
Lagamer.  ^^'hat  makes  the  equivalence  the  more  striking  is  that 
the  spelling  of  the  name  of  the  goddess  Lagamar  is  incorrect,  and 
represents  a  pronunciation  which  is  neither  Elamite  nor  Babylonian. 
Initial  ga  could  become  kha  (i.e.  gha)  in  Sumerian,  but  I  do  not 
remember  any  example  in  the  older  Babylonian  inscriptions  in 
which  the  guttural  of  Lagamar  has  undergone  this  change.  The 
fact  suggests  a  close  connection  between  the  Biblical  texts  and  the 
Spartali  tablets.  It  is  significant  that  in  A,  Obv.  9,  where  Kudur- 
lakhkhamar  is  compared  with  Gurra  la-gamil  "the  Plague-god,  the 
pitiless,"  with  a  play  on  the  similarity  in  sound  between  the  two, 
the  Assyrian  correspondent  of  lakhkhainar  is  given  as  la-gamil.  As 
is  well  known,  the  name  of  the  Elamite  deity  Lagamar  is  derived 
from  the  Assyrian  La-gamal. 

By  the  side  of  Kudur-lakhkhamar  we  have  Eri-Aku  and  Tudkhula. 
Tudkhula  {i.e.  Tudghula,  the  exact  equivalent  of  Tid'al)  is  written 
with  the  character  kkul{-a)  which  means  "wicked":  a  similar 
graphic  play  is  attempted  in  the  name  of  Eri-Aku,  which  in  one 
instance  is  written  Eri-e-ku-a  "the  servant  of  E-kua,"  the  sanctuary 
of  Bel-Merodach,  and  in  another  instance  Eri-Ea-ku  "  the  servant  of 
Ea-ku."  ■"'  The  identification  of  Eri-Aku  with  the  Arioch  of  Genesis 
goes  back  to  Rawlinson,  George  Smith,  and  Lenormant ;  the  name 
is  of  Elamite  origin,  like  other  Sumerian  names  found  on  the 
monuments  of  Susa,  and  the  king  was  known  to  his  Semitic 
subjects  as  Rim-Sin  "the  wild-bull  of  Sin,"  in  which  the  Sumerian 
eri,  contracted    into  ri,   has  been  assimilated  to  the  first  element 

*  Us  seems  to  be  a  dialectal  form  of  ii-uiis  which  is  staled  to  be  the  Sumerian 
pronunciation  of  KU  when  signifying  "a  (magical?)  writing"  (W.A.I.  II,  48,  17). 

•'  £-kua  also  forms  part  of  the  name  of  the  first  postdiluvian  king  of  Babylonia, 
according  to  Berossus.  The  name  js  Euekhoos,  which  must  be  Ewe(EN-ME)- 
E-kua  "the  priest  of  E-kua."  Babylonian  patriotism  thus  made  the  first 
postdiluvian  king  as  well  as  the  first  antediluvian  king  a  king  of  Babylon. 

196 


Nov.  7]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 

in  the  name  of  Rim-Anum,  an  earlier  ruler  of  the  principality  of 
Ernutbal.'' 

Eri-Aku  was  king  of  Larsa,  as  the  Biblical  Arioch  was  of  Ellasar,. 
and  as  he  was  the  son  of  Kudur-Mabug  the  Elamite  prince  of 
Emutbal,  and  his  overthrow  at  the  hands  of  Khammu-rabi  meant 
the  overthrow  of  Elamite  supremacy  in  Babylonia,  he  was  probably 
closely  related  to  the  royal  house  of  Elam.  I'id'al  is  called  "king 
of  Goyyim  "  or  "Nations"  in  Genesis,  and  since  Kudur-lakhkhamar 
is  stated  to  have  "mustered  the  Umman-Manda  "  or  "Nations" — 
of  which  the  Hebrew  Goyyim  would  be  a  natural  rendering — we 
may  infer  that  Tudkhula,  the  second  vassal-ally  of  the  Elamite 
monarch,  Avas  their  king.  In  the  cylinder  inscription  of  Cyrus  (1.  13) 
Quti  or  Kurdistan,  the  Gutium  of  the  early  Babylonian  texts,  is 
made  equivalent  to  "the  Manda  hordes"  who  constituted  the 
kingdom  of  Astyages.  In  the  geography  of  the  Babylonians  they 
were  the  mountaineers  immediately  to  the  north  of  Elam. 

It  is  possible  that  the  name  of  Khammu-[rabi]  occurs  in  the 
mutilated  commencement  of  Sp.  III.  2.  The  passage  is  concerned 
with  Babylon  and  its  god  Merodach,  and  Khammu  .  .  .  might 
naturally  be  completed  as  Khammu-rabi.  Against  this  is  the  fact 
that  the  word  is  not  preceded  by  the  determinative  of  an  individuaL 

I  now  proceed  to  a  translation  of  the  texts. 


A.  Sp.  158  +  Sp.  II.  962. 
Obverse. 


I.    [D.P.  Elamu  D.P.  tsi-e-nu  yu-nab-bil         e-]gal-[l]a-su 

[The  Elamite,         the  zvicked  one,  destroyed]         its  [pal~\ace  : 

"  Unless  Rim-Anum  is  another  attempt  of  his  Semitic  subjects  and  scribes  to 
naturahse  the  foreign  naine  of  the  king.  In  W.A.L,  v,  19,  43,  sag-sal  "slave" 
with  the  pronunciation  of  e-ru  attached  to  it  is  given  as  the  equivalent  of  the 
West-Semitic  abdn  "  slave."  This  is  followed  by  the  Akkadian  la-bar  (Sumerian 
lagar)  with  its  Semitic  Babylonian  equivalent  ardu.  Eri  is  the  Akkadian  repre- 
sentative oiardu  in  W.A.L,  iv,  10,  356  and  other  passages;  see  Brilnnow,  5858. 
The  Hebrew  spelling  "[VIX  implies  a  form  Erim-Aku, — m  being  pronounced  w  as 
in  Evil-Merodach,  Sivan,  Ivisleu,  Marchesvan,  etc.,— and  Erivi  would  naturally 
become  Rim.  In  ^1:^^:1  j^jf  f  erim,  S^  ru  had  the  value  of  rim.  Aku  or 
Agu  seems  to  have  been  an  Elamite  deity. 

197 


ivjov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

2.     [ina  Babili  is-lul  sal-lat  e-]kur-ra 

[i/i  Babylo7i         he  carried  a7vay     the  spoil]       of  the  temple  ; 

,3.      [il-qi  bu-su-su  yu-tab-ba-la-ma]  E-lam-mat 

[lie  took         its  goods,         and  co7iveyed  theni\  to  Elavi. 

4.  [I-nu-um     D,P.  nakru         D.P.  Elamu  is-lu-ul]         bu-su-su 

[  When       the  enemy,       even  the  Elamite,      spoiled]        its  goods, 

5.  [Bel  a-sib  eli-su  yun-ni-is  (?)]  zi-mi-su-nu 
[Bel  who  sat         enthrofted  there           made  pale]          their  faces , 

6.  [ki-makh-khi         sanani  (?)  D.P,  nakru        yu-na  (?)]-am-ma 

the  tombs  of  the  kings  (?)        the  enemy]  ruins  and 

yu-kal-lam         D.P.  Sam-si 
exposes  to  the  sun. 

7.  [kal  (?)  yu-]me  is'-ni-qa  a-na  babi  tsiri 

[All  ?]  day  he  pressed  on         tozvards        the  Grand  Gate  ; 

.8.       dalat  Istari  is-sik  is-sukh-ma  it-ta-di 

the  door  of  I  star     he  tore  down,      he  carried  away  and     laid  lozv 

A-li-es 
like  a  storm  deifion, 

■9.  kima     D.P.  Gur-ra       la-ga-mil         i-ru-um-ma  Du-makh-is 

like  Gurra  the  pitiless     lie  entered  also     the  Du-makh ; 

10.  iz-ziz-ma  ina         Du-makh         i-na-adh-  dhal         e-kur 

he  halted  also       in       the  Du-makh,         he  beheld         the  temple ; 

11.  pi-su  ipus-am-ma         itti         aimil-tur-mes       i-dib-bu-ub 
his  mouth     he  opened  and     with       the  young  7nen        he  spake ; 


12.    ana       kal-la 

qu-ra-di-e-su          yu-sakh-midh 

ma-ag-ri-tuni 

to            all 

his  warriors        lie  sent  in  haste 

the  message  : 

13.  su-ul-la-ah 

sal-lat                e-kur            li-qa-a-ma 

bu-su-su 

'  Carry  off 

the  spoil       of  the  temple,          take 

its  goods, 

14.  sukh-kha-ah 

u-tsur-ta-su             sup-ri-sa-a 

.sak-ki-e-su 

dest?-oy 

its  walls,               break  thro' 

its  shrine  ! ' 

15.    a-na         iki  su-[pa-lij         is-ni-qa        D.P.  [nakru      D.P.  Elamu] 
To      the  lo7C>[er]  canal    pressed  on      the  [enemy,       the  Elamite], 

198 


Nov.  7] 


THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS. 


[1906. 


16.  i-bu-ut  mal-ki            [sa  Babili]        ma-khar-su 
he  destroyed  the  princes       \of  Babylon'\       befo7'e  him. 

17.  [I-nu-um  D.P.Bel         izkur         sakh-lu-uq-tu  sa  ?] 
[  JJ'hen  Bel           decreed       the  destruction  of\ 


E-sar-ra 
E-sarra 


18.     [u 
\ajid 


istu 
from 


e-kur  ?] 
the  temple .?] 


yur-rid 
departed 


se-du-us-su 
its  guardian  bull, 


19.  yu-sakh-khi      [D.P.  nakru       u-tsui-ta-su]        it-bal  par-tsi-su 

destroyed  [the  etiemy         its  ivatts\      he  abolished     its  laws, 


20.  i-ru-um-ma  ana  bit  ad-gi-gi 

he  entered        into  the  house  of  the  (divine)  Judge, 

ka-tim-tum 
the  veil, 


a-na         D.P.  En-nun-dagal-la 
toivards  Merodach 

lim-ni-is 

wickedly  ; 


D.P.  nakru 
the  e7iemy 


is-sukh 

he  rejnoved 


is-ni-qa 
pressed  on 


22.  ina  pani-su                     ilani                         il-la-bis  nu-u-ri 
before  him          the  god  {Elohini)         ivas  clothed  with  light, 

23.  kima         bir-qa                       ib-riq-ma                  i-nu-us  as-ru-ti 

like       lightning     he  {the  god)  lightened  and      shook  the  shrine. 


24. 

Ip-lukh-ma  D.P.  nakru         uk-kis         ra-man-su 
The  enemy  t7-embled               ajid             halted. 

25- 

yur-rid-ma 
while  there  enters 

D.P.  ni-sak-ka-: 
the  priest  of  the  god 

su 
(and) 

a-mat 
the  word 

i-qab-bi-su 
speaks  unto  him  : 

26. 

[e-li?] 
[' Go  forward  ?] 

nuri 

zmth  light, 

man-di-[ma          ki-]i 
at  once              since 

ilani 
the  god 

il-la-bis 
is  clothed 

27- 

[kima         bir-qa 
[like       lightning 

ib-riq-]ma 

he  has  lightened^  and 

199 

i-nu-us 
sh  aken 

as-ru-ti 
the  shrines. 

Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILKOLOCV.  [1906. 

28.  [la  tip-lukh  sa]       D.P.  En-nun-dagal-la       sukh-khi  age-su 
[^Fear  not  ?  <?/]                  Merodac/i,                to  remove     the  crown ; 

29.  [te-ru-um-ma  ana]  biti-su  ti-iz-bat  qat-su 

\t/ioic  shalt  enterl        his  temple         thou  shalt  take         his  hand.' 

30.  [D.P.  nakru         D.P.  Elamu]  ul  i-du-ur-ma         ul  ikh-.su-su 
\_The  e?iemy,         the  Elamite^        feaj-ed  not  and      caixd  not  for 

na-pis-tun\ 
life;   ■ 

31.  [ul  iz-bat  qata  ?  sa]         D.P.  En-nun-dagal-la    ul  yu-sakh-khi 
\Jie  took  not  the  hand  ?  of\  Merodach^  he  removed  not 

age-.su 
his  crown. 

32.  [su-u]         D.P.  Elamu  D.P.  tsi-e-nu         iz-kur ni.s 

[T/d'j]  the  Eiajnite,         the  wicked  one,       proclaimed  {it)  .... 

2,'^.  [a-na]         sa-na  kat-te-e  yu-sa-an-na-a  na-pa-al-tum 

[/c]  other{s)        the  crier  repeated  (it)         far  and  wide  : 

34 ina         Du-makh  lu  a-sib  a-h-il 

[^since  the  god  {?)]       in       the  Du-makli      still  dwells,     {still)  abides 

ni-sak-ku 

the  priest. 

{To  he  cofitinned.) 


Nov.  7]        TWO  STATUETTES  OF  THE  GODDESS  BUTO. 


[1906. 


TWO   STATUETTES    OF   THE   GODDESS   BUTO. 
By  Dr.  Valdemar  Schiniidt. 


In  the  Museo  Civico  at  Mantua,  which  is  very  rich  in  interesting 
statues  of  Roman  times,  there  is  a  fragment  of  an  Egyptian  statue  in 
black  stone.  Only  the  two  feet  and  the  lower  part  of  a  long  dress 
remain  with  the  plinth  on  which  the  figure  stood.  It  must  have 
been  more  than  life  size.  One  foot  is  placed  very  much  in  front  of 
the  other,  as  if  moving  forward  quickly. 

This  might  indicate  that  the  statue  represented  some  warrior  god, 
as  Onuris  (Anhur)  who  always  wears  the  same  long  garment  as  the 
Egyptian  goddesses  and  ladies,  whereas  in  the  case  of  female  figures 
the  feet  are  generally  much  nearer  each  other. 

However,  it  seems  that  the  Mantua  statue  is  not  Anhur  (Onuris), 
but  most  likely  the  goddess  Buto,  for  on  the  plinth,  near  the  feet, 
is  the  following  hieroglyphic  inscription  : — 


A        I 


Q 


A        I 


the  well-known  names  of  Rameses  II  "  The  Lord  of  the  two 
Lands,  Usr-ma-ra  setp-71-ra,  the  Lord  of  the  Crowns,  Ra-messu  Mer- 
Amon,  (he),  who  gives  Life  " ;  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  figure  we 
read :  "  Buto,  the  Lady  of  the  two  Lands,  loves  (him,  the  king 
Rameses)."     The  statue  therefore  represented  Buto. 

The  exact  pronunciation  of  the  Egyptian  name  of  the  goddess 
called  Buto  by  the  Greeks  is  not  known ;  most  likely  it  was  something 
like  Utit,  Vtitit,  Vitto,  etc.  Some  Egyptologists  have  proposed  to 
read  Vadjif,  but  that  is  not  a  probable  reading. 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

On  Egyptian  monuments  this  goddess  is  frequently  mentioned  as 
"the  Lady  of  the  North"  or  "the  Goddess  of  the  Northern  part  of 
the  world,"  that  is  of  Lower  Egypt,  another  goddess,  called  Eileithyia 
by  the  Greeks  and  Lucina  by  the  Romans,  being  "the  Goddess  of 
the  South." 

Both  goddesses  are  called  "the  two  serpents,"  being  indeed  often 
represented  as  serpents,  sometimes  with  wings.  They  often  wear 
crowns,  Buto  the  red  crown  of  the  North  and  Ahkheb  or  Nekhabit,  as 
the  Egyptian  name  of  this  other  goddess  is  generally  read  (formerly 
called  Suba?i,  A^ebefi,  etc.),  the  white  crown  of  the  South. 

Buto  was  also  figured  as  an  Egyptian  Lady  in  the  usual  long  dress 
and  with  the  red  crown  of  the  North  on  her  head.  She  then 
resembles  the  goddess  Neith  at  Sais,  and  indeed  both  are  local,  but 
very  ancient,  forms  or  varieties  of  the  goddess  Isis.  Buto,  like  Isis, 
has  a  son  Horus.  Lanzone,  in  his  Dizionario  di  Mitologia  Egizia, 
gives  figures  of  Buto,  but  he  gives  no  references  to  the  monuments 
from  which  he  copied  them.  Buto,  like  several  other  Egyptian 
goddesses,  such  as  Sekhet  (Sekhemt),  Pasht,  Tefnut,  etc.,  is  figured 
with  the  head  of  a  Lioness.  Lanzone  gives  no  instance  of  Buto  in 
this  form,  but  in  the  recently  opened  Egyptian  section  of  the 
Glyptothek  at  Copenhagen  (formerly  the  private  collection  of 
Dr.  Carl  Jacobsen,  of  Valby,  near  Copenhagen),  is  an  excellent 
bronze  statuette  of  Buto.  This  statuette  (A  281  and  pp.  306-7  of 
the  Danish  Catalogue  of  1899)  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  Saitic  Art. 
It  is  245  millimetres  (9-5^  inches)  high,  and  has  never  been  published 
(see  Plate).  The  right  arm  hangs  straight  down  by  the  side ; 
the  left  arm  is  slightly  curved  and  the  hand  holds  an  object,  the 
nature  of  which  it  is  not  easy  to  determine.  The  Lioness'-head  is 
ornamented  with  the  round  sun-disk  and  the  ur^us,  like  the  head  of 
the  goddess  Sekhet  (Sekhemt). 

A  hieroglyphic  inscription  on  the  front  of  the  plinth  proves  that 
the  statuette  represents  Buto  and  not  another  goddess.  We  read  on 
the  base  of  the  statuette:  "So  says  Buto:  give  life  and  health  to 
Hata,  who  is  in  alliance  with  the  goddess  Buto,  and  who  is  son  of 
Ooh  and  of  the  lady  of  the  house  Te-iikh-a-ma},  and  also  to 
Pen-ta-nekhtl"  The  last  part  of  the  inscription  is  very  indistinct 
and  difficult  to  read.  The  statuette  was  acquired  in  Cairo  in  1892. 
It  is  probable  that  it  was  found  in  the  ruins  of  Sais,  where  several 
thousand  statuettes  were  discovered  by  the  natives  about  twenty  years 
ago. 

202 


Prot\  Soc.  Bibt.  Arch.,  Nov.,  1906' 


BRONZE   FIGURE    OF    BUTO 
In  the  Copenhagen  Glyptothek, 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [iqo6. 


THE    BABYLONIAN    GODS    OF    WAR 
AND    THEIR    LEGENDS. 

By  Theophilus  G.  Pinches,  LL.D. 

For  the  sake  of  brevity  I  have  adopted  as  the  title  of  this  Paper 
one  which,  though  correct,  would  probably  have  been  regarded 
by  an  ancient  Babylonian  as  somewhat  of  a  generalization.  The 
text  which  supplied  me  with  the  data  for  this  title — the  now  well- 
known  tablet  which  furnished  material  for  a  definite  statement  with 
regard  to  the  nature  of  Babylonian  monotheism,  such  as  it  was — 
uses  two  different  words  to  express  the  attributes  of  the  two  divinities 
of  whom  it  is  my  intention  to  speak.  As  the  inscriptions  tell  us,  the 
god  of  war  as  such  was  Nergal,  or  Nerigal,  '  the  lord  of  the  great 
region,'  by  which  is  probably  meant  'the  land  of  the  dead,'  and  he  is 
described  in  the  text  to  which  I  have  referred  as  Mardiik  sa  qabli, 
'  Merodach  of  war,'  apparently  in  the  sense  of  the  meeting  of  hostile 
forces  {gabdlu),  from  which  root  muqtabhi,  one  of  the  Assyro- 
Babylonian  words  for  'soldier,'  comes. 

The  other  god  of  battle  referred  to  in  the  list  in  which  the  gods 
are  identified  with  Merodach  is  Zagaga,  or,  in  the  'dialect'  of 
Sumerian,  Zamama.  He  is  not  called,  however,  Alarduk  sa  qabli, 
but  Marduk  sa  tahazi,  with  much  the  same  meaning — for  the  sake 
of  making  a  difference  we  may  say  '  Merodach  of  battle.'  What  the 
precise  distinction  between  these  two  words  is,  is  uncertain,  but  may 
be  found,  perhaps,  in  the  Sumero-Akkadian  ideographs  often  used  to 
express  them.  That  by  which  tahazu  was  indicated  was  regarded, 
to  all  appearance,  as  being  composed  of  -Q^  and  ^\,  'to  make' 
(epesu),  and  '  men '  or  '  soldiers '  (in  the  singular  sabu  or  iimmanii). 
These,  united,  may  possibly  have  been  used  for  the  expression  'to 
lead  men,'  like  cpcsu  sa  sarrfif/,  'to  rule,'  literally  'to  make  royalty.' 

203 


^■ov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

In  this  case  Zagaga  would  seem  to  have  been  conceived  as  the  god 
of  strategy. 

The  original  meaning  of  the  character  for  qabhi^  ^3^<  \ ,  which 
is  used  in  connection  with  Nergal,  was  possibly  that  expressed  by 
the  non-Semitic  nisag,  meaning  'that  which  is  at  the  head,' hence 
the  signification  of  asarcdu,  'chieftain,'  which  it  has.  The  meeting-, 
point  of  two  opposing  armies  being  their  foremost  ranks,  it  is  there 
that  the  battle  rages,  hence,  perhaps,  the  words  applied  to  it  by  both 
Semites  and  non-Semites.  As  one  cannot  dogmatize  in  such  a 
matter  as  this,  I  give  the  above  merely  as  suggestions — for  the 
present,  however,  they  will  suffice  to  indicate  what,  from  the  nature 
of  the  deities  in  question,  would  be  expected,  Nergal  being  god  of 
death,  and  therefore  of  slaughter  in  the  forefront  of  the  battle,  and 
Zagaga,  god  of  all  the  accessories  which  belong  to  the  carrying  on  of 
a  military  expedition  or  conducting  operations  in  the  field. 

It  is  somewhat  strange  that,  in  the  inscription  to  which  I  have 
referred,  the  god  >->|-  '^^  ]yj,  whose  name  is  generally  read 
Ninip,  which  immediately  precedes  these  two,  is  not  described  as  a 
god  of  war  or  battle — a  title  whic:h  we  meet  with  in  other  inscriptions 
— but  as  Marduk  sa  alii,  '  Merodach  of  strength,'  as  I  provisionally 
translated  it.  But  before  discussing  these  deities'  names  at  greater 
length,  it  would  be  well,  perhaps,  in  order  to  avoid  ambiguity,  to  say 
a  few  words  upon  the  readings  of  the  name  hitherto  commonly 
transcribed  as  Ninip  (or  Ninib)  which  will  be  used  in  this  Paper, 
concerning  which  there  has  been  much  difference  of  opinion.^ 

The  true  reading  would  seem  to  have  been  suggested  about  two 
years  ago  by  Dr.  Fried.  Hrozny,  in  his  work,  Suvierisch-Babylonische 
Mythen  vo?i  dem  Gotte  Ninrag  {N't/lib).  This  he  bases  on  the  fact 
that  the  Arabic  name  of  the  planet  Mars  is  ^^-c,  Min-ih  (?  for 
Mirrig  =  Nirrig),  in  Mandaic  ^'^I'l^,  Nerigh,  •'yn'rl  or  kih>'P 
(Hrozny)  in  Syriac.  That  this  name  should  have  become  confused 
with  that  of  Nergal  was  only  to  be  expected,  and  Hrozny  points  out 
that  once,  in  fact,  ^i;H"'2,  Nergel,  i.e.,  Nergal,  is  found.  It  is  need- 
less to  say,  that  these  statements  are  of  considerable  importance, 
especially   when   we   bear    in    mind    that    >->|-    -J^^y    J^    in    one 

'  The  most  common  alternative  reading  is  Adar,  adopted  on  account  of  a 
termination  added  to  it  which  suggested  that  the  name  ended  in  ;• — an  assumption 
recognized  by  most  Assyriologists  as  unsafe. 

204 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

instance  is  followed  by  the  lengthening  _^v',  written  with  tiff,  and 
making  the  full  form  to  be  Nirigi  or  Neregi.  Certain  dialectic 
forms  occur,  namely,  Ulim  and  Ulalm,  which  latter  may  also  be 
read  Uriba  or  Ureba.  As  it  is  known  to  be  one  of  the  late  Sumerian 
words  for  'lord,'  and  to  correspond  in  meaning  with  ni,  'lord,'  taking 
its  place  in  the  dialectic  forms  of  divine  names,  Ureba,  with  the  usual 
replacing  of  g  by  b,  may  be  regarded  as  an  excellent  confirmation  of 
the  theory  which  Hrozny  has  advanced.  I  am,  therefore,  inclined  to 
accept  his  reading,  simply  changing  the  vowels  and  dropping  the 
second  n,  thus  changing  Ninrag  to  Nirig  {A^ej-igh),  in  accordance 
with  the  indications  of  the  Arabic,  Syriac,  and  Mandaic. 

Doubt  still  exists  as  to  the  Semitic  pronunciation  of  the  name  of 
this  god,  but  it  is  indicated  within  certain  limits  by  some  of  the 
Aramaic  dockets  on  trade  documents  found  by  the  American 
explorers  at  Niffer.  Naturally,  in  a  method  of  writing  in  which  the 
vowels  are  omitted — and  all  the  Aramaic  dockets  are  written  thus — 
there  is  considerable  doubt  as  to  the  way  in  which  a  word  should  be 
read,  and  this  is  mainly  the  reason  of  any  uncertainty  which  may 
continue  to  exist. 

But  besides  this,  there  is  doubt  as  to  the  reading  of  some  of  the 
letters,  mainly  the  second  and  third,  and  scholars  waver  between  ^ 
and  "^  in  the  first  case,  and  1  and  '^  in  the  second.  Prof.  Johns 
has  suggested  Urastu  as  the  reading,  and  later,  Arasfu  and  Arasit. 
Prof.  Clay  proposed  provisionally  riXI^I^t^,  AnusetJi.  Prof.  Sayce 
has  read  In-aristi. 

This  last  is  based  upon  Prof.  Hilprecht's  reading,  nil?n2^5, 
En-reseth,  a  reading  with  which  I  fully  agree,  but  which  I  am 
inclined  to  vocalize  as  Enn-restu,  'the  primaeval  lord,'  or  something 
similar.  This  I  suggested  in  January,  1905,2  and  the  same  thought 
independently  struck  Prof.  Dynelly  Prince,  of  New  York.  This 
being  the  case,  Enu-rcstu  would  seem  to  be  the  most  probable 
reading,  and  may  be  adopted  until  disproved  by  further  research. 

We  now  return  to  the  consideration  of  the  nature  of  Nirig  or 
Enu-restu  as  a  deity  of  the  Assyro-Babylonian  pantheon.  Jensen 
renders  the  word  alhi,  generally  translated  'strength,'  as  'arable 
land,'  which  would  make  the  deity  the  Babylonian  god  of  agriculture 
— an  exceedingly  possible  rendering.  Another  dllu,  meaning  '  yoke,' 
'chain,'  or  'collar'  as  badge  of  servitude,  suggests  the  possibility  that 

-  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  p.  206,  footnote. 
205 


Nov.   7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Niri'--  was  the  god  of  slavery.  Another  word,  alliihappu,  which  has 
allu  as  its  first  component,  is  generally  regarded  as  meaning  'net,' 
such  as  the  Roman  gladiators  of  old  used,  and  in  this  case,  Nirig 
would  be  the  god  of  the  net  with  which  the  Babylonians  of  the 
earliest  period  captured  their  enemies,  as  is  illustrated  by  the  sculp- 
tures on  the  well-known  stele  of  E-anna-du,  called  by  the  French, 
who  possess  the  greater  part  of  the  monument,  the  stele  des  vautours, 
or  vulture-stele.  The  roots  dldlu,  '  to  be  feeble,  weak,'  and  dldlu, 
'  to  rejoice,'  are  probably  not  those  from  which  dlbt  can  be  derived. 

The  principal  inscriptions  referring  to  the  attributes  of  Nirig  are 
those  published  in  the  second  volume  of  the  Oineiform  Inscriptions 
of  Western  Asia,  plate  57,  and  the  third  volume  of  the  same  work, 
plate  67,  lines  63-68.  These  texts  are  too  long  to  quote  in  full,  but 
a  few  of  the  more  important  statements  they  contain  may  be  of  value 
in  deciding  the  view  which  the  Babylonians  took  of  his  nature. 

The  text  in  the  second  volume  of  the  Inscriptions,  plate  57,  is  a 
longish  Hst  of  gods,  unfortunately  imperfect.  In  this  the  names  of 
Nirig  are  the  most  numerous,  occupying,  as  they  do,  the  greater  part 
of  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  columns.  He  is  first  described  as 
the  god  of  oracles,  and,  apparently  in  consequence  of  that,  was 
identified  with  Nebo,  the  god  of  writing  and  literature.  When  named 
En-banda,  which  probably  means  'the  lord  of  youthful  strength,'  he 
was  the  deity  who  accepted  the  command  of  the  gods ;  as  Halha/a 
he  was  the  guardian  of  the  decisions  of  father  Bel,  and  as  Me-maJi, 
'the  subUme  word,'  he  was  the  god  who  controlled  the  sublime 
commands,  apparently  of  the  gods.  A  different  idea  is  contained  in 
the  name  Kalunima,  i.e.,  '  (the  god  of)  the  date,'  which  he  bore,  and 
to  which  the  explanation  (as  yet  a  puzzle  to  Assyriologists)  aniku 
anihu  is  appended.  I  conjecture  that  these  words  express  his  nature 
as  nourisher  and  strengthener,  or  something  of  the  kind. 

At  this  point  in  the  list  his  attributes  coincide  largely  with  those 
given  on  plate  67  of  the  third  volume  of  the  inscriptions.  As 
A-kala-mah,  '  sublime  strength,'  he  was  Nirig,  lord  of  might  {cniuki, 
not  dlli).     The  text  then  proceeds  : — 

Uras  is  Nirig  of  iiddane. 

Uru  is  Nirig  of  dlli  {Urti  probably  means  'farmer,'  'husband- 
man,' or  something  of  the  kind,  which  would  justify  Jensen's 
explanation). 

SarSarri  is  Nirig  of  naspanti,  or  overthrowing. 
206 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

Nunnir  is  Nirig  of  qabli,^  or  battle. 
Tispak  is  Nirig  of  ramkuti,  or  lustration. 
Su-sanabi  is  Nirig  of  qarradi,  or  the  heroes. 

The  above  is  followed  by  the  statement,  that  Astupinu  or  Astu- 
wanu  is  the  name  of  Zagaga  and  Nirig  in  the  language  designated  by 
the  character  Alar,  i.e.,  Afiiurrn,  '  Amorite.' 

Besides  the  above,  about  fifty  other  names  of  Nirig  are  recorded 
by  this  important  list.  He  was  called  Zizanu  in  the  language 
designated  by  the  character  su,  supposed  to  stand  for  Shuite ;  Rabi- 
maguza,  apparently  meaning  'chief  magian,'  possibly  in  another 
dialect,  and  if  this  be  correct,  the  second  word  would  seem  to  be  of 
Persian  origin.  In  another  language — perhaps  Shuite  again — he  is 
called  Lahu-rabe,  in  which  the  only  thing  certain  is,  that  the  second 
element  is  the  common  Semitic  word  for  '  great,'  in  a  seemingly  non- 
Babylonian  form.  Five  names  of  Nirig  in  Elamite  are  then  given  : 
Sillies,  Adaeni,  Susinak,  Dagbak,  and  Assia.  Of  greater  interest  are 
the  purely  Sumero-Akkadian  names  which  follow  :  Zi-Zida,  apparently 
meaning  'everlasting  life;'  Gis-ku-pi,  'the  ear;'  Nin-uru,  probably 
'  lord  of  agriculture '  (see  the  remarks  upon  dllu,  above) ;  and  Nin- 
Girsu,  'lord  of  Girsu,'  the  well-known  city  of  Gudea's  dominion,  in 
connection  with  which  his  title  of  Uru  =  Semitic  dllu,  would  seem 
to  have  been  more  especially  used.  In  this  part  of  the  text  he  is 
again  identified  with  Zagaga,  the  god  of  war  in  the  tablet  giving  the 
deities  identified  with  Merodach ;  but  more  interesting  still  is  the 
statement  in  the  final  column  of  the  tablet,  that  the  star  called 
Ti-Zagaga,  'Zagaga's  Eagle,'  was  also  the  god  Nirig. 

In  at  least  one  way  he  seems  to  have  been  identified  with  Rimmon 

or  Hadad,  for,  as  I  pointed  out  as  long  ago  as   1883,*  the   group 

^  which  is  a  representation  of  the  wind-god  coming 

-Tj  from  the  four  cardinal  points,  has  the  pronuncia- 

*->{-  -^"flf-     "ii'V'  tion  of  Mermer,  and  is  explained  as  Utu-gisgallu, 

^  perhaps    '  the    southern    sun  ' — in    any    case,    this 

"V  deity  was  identified  with  the  god  Nirig.     Another 

of  his  names  was  indicated  by  the  group  >->^  ^  ^^^T  'J^fT^, 

Pa-pil-sag,  which  is  the  usual  designation  of  the  constellation  of  the 

Archer,  perhaps  as  the  deity  (in  this  connection)  which  flashed  like 

lightning — suggesting  the  possibility  that  a  meteoric  shower  may  have 

^  Replaced  by  viehri,  "  opposition,"  in  IV.  A. I.  Ill,  67. 
■*  Proceedings  for  February  6th  of  that  year,  p.  73. 

207  S 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY,  [1906. 

come  from  the  portion  of  the  sky  occupied  by  that  constellation  at 
the  time  when  the  name  had  its  birth.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the 
group  »->|-  >|-  stands  both  for  Nirig  and  for  '  iron,'  supposed  to 
have  been  known  originally  only  in  its  meteoric  form. 

It  was  not,  however,  my  intention  to  enter  at  such  length  into 
the  question  of  Nirig's  names,  but  only  to  bring  forward  evidence 
that,  in  spite  of  the  list  identifying  the  gods  with  Merodach 
treating  Nirig  and  Zagaga  as  if  they  were  two  manifestations  of 
Merodach,  and  therefore  originally  two  distinct  gods,  they  had  in 
reality  been  identified  with  each  other  by  the  scribes  who  compiled 
the  originals  of  the  lists  of  gods  in  Assur-bani-apli's  library  at  some 
early  date  not  at  present  ascertainable,  but  possibly  going  back  to 
the  dynasty  of  Hammurabi,  or  even  earlier. 

Among  the  personal  names  of  that  period  are  Ubar-Nirig,  '  friend 
of  Nirig,' and  Ubar-Zagaga,  ' friend  of  Zagaga  ; '  Nirig-ellat-zu,  'Nirig 
is  his  defence ; '  Nirig-uballit,  '  Nirig  has  given  life  ; '  whilst  Zagaga, 
the  god  of  war,  is  also  mentioned  in  such  compositions  as  Zagaga- 
mansum,  'Zagaga  has  given,'  and  Idin-Zagaga,  'Give,  O  Zagaga.' 
The  god  of  agriculture  (if  we  may  so  regard  him)  is,  as  defender  of 
his  worshipper,  also  god  of  war,  and  Zagaga,  the  god  of  war,  is  like 
the  god  of  agriculture,  the  god  who  gives,  hence  their  identity  in 
Babylonian  mythology.  Nergal  and  Zagaga  were  both  gods  of  war 
when  that  term  could  be  applied  to  the  defence  of  the  land — Nergal 
was  the  god  of  war  when  the  country  was  subject  to  its  ravages. 

Concerning  the  name  of  Nergal,  that  is  based  upon  well-known 
readings,  and  is  probably  to  be  analysed  Ne-uru  (or  en)-gal,  '  prince 
of  the  great  region,'  that  is,  of  the  grave — we  shall  see  later  how  this 
came  about.  At  present,  it  may  merely  be  noted,  the  most  renowned 
place  of  his  worship  was  Cuthah,  as  recorded  in  2  Kings,  xvii,  24 
;and  30.  This  site,  as  is  now  recognized,  is  the  ruin  which  bears  the 
name  of  Tel  Ibrahim,  not  far  from  Babylon.  In  Cuthah  there  was 
a  celebrated  temple  dedicated  to  him,  known  as  E-jnes-lani,  the  god 
himself  being  called,  similarly,  Mes-lat)i-ta-ea,  'he  who  came  forth 
from  the  mes-lani,''  possibly  meaning  '  the  fruit  of  the  ?uesu-iree.' 
Naturally,  I  can  only  put  forward  this  interpretation  as  the  expression 
of  an  opinion,  but  it  may,  by  chance,  turn  out  to  be  correct,  and  in 
that  case,  another  interesting  legend,  at  present  unknown,  may  reward 
the  diligent  explorer  in  years  to  come. 

Like  most  other  deities,  Nergal  had  many  names.  In  the  great 
list  of  gods  in  the  British  Museum  his   names    immediately  follow 

208 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

those  of  Nirig  or  Emi-restTi.  In  the  first  line  of  the  paragraph 
devoted  to  him,'"^  we  recognize  that  he  was  probably  not  called  '  lord 
of  the  great  region '  because  he  was  king  of  Hades,  but  as  god 
sa  qabri,  '  of  the  grave,'  and  therefore  of  the  great  army  of  the  dead, 
who,  as  the  Babylonians  realized  at  a  sufficiently  early  date,  much 
exceed  the  living  in  number.  In  the  second  line  of  the  paragraph, 
the  ordinary  ideograph  expressing  the  name  of  this  god  is  apparently 
analysed  by  the  component  parts  being  divided  from  each  other 
(>->f-  ^  '^Tf))  ^rid  it  is  therefore  probable  that  one  of  its  readings 
was  Ugur.  When  thus  called  he  was  god  sa  Map',  'of  the  sword,' 
according  to  Jensen — the  thing  which  throws  down,  destroys.  But 
if  we  take  another  meaning  of  the  root  hdtu,  '  to  weigh '  (Meissner), 
he  would  be  the  god  of  weighing  or  inspecting — the  judge  as  well  as 
the  keeper  of  the  dead.  His  next  name  is  '->f-  -<^^^  ^I^  fj, 
Hus-ki-a,  as  god  sa  sipti,  or  sibti,  'of  the  (chastening)  staff,'  in  all 
probability.  In  the  next  line  he  appears  as  some  kind  of  bird, 
»->»f-  >|-  >-y<y  ^^,  Mas-musenna,  as  Nergal  sa  uzzi,  '  of  violent 
anger.'  His  next  name  is  again  defective,  but  may  be  Dunga  simply 
(>->f-  ^][s:][][![^  ^yiT'^)?  apparently  so  called  in  the  non-Semitic 
column  as  Nergal  sa  risati,  'of  joyful  triumph  (?),'  or  something  of 
the  kind.  In  the  next  three  lines  he  appears  as  the  god  Nergal 
sa  di'i  {ti'i),  'of  disease.'  In  the  first  of  these  the  Sumero-Akkadian 
ideograph  is  lost,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  character,  the 
syllable  -a.  In  the  second  of  the  three  the  first  two  characters, 
Su-ki- . . ,  are  clear,  and  in  the  third  he  has  the  seemingly  Semitic 
name  of  Laqtibu  or  Laqupii.  It  is  difficult  to  guess  what  this  may 
mean,  but  perhaps  the  Arabic  k__iji! ,  '  to  snatch  away,'  may  contain  a 
shadow  of  the  meaning,  in  which  case  Nergal  may  have  been  called 
Laqupu,  as  he  who,  by  disease,  carried  off  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth.  His  last  name  is  written  >->^  ^,  an  ideograph  which  is 
employed  for  the  god  Nebo,  but  in  what  way  he  could  be  identified 
with  him  is  not  clear.  In  this  case  he  is  said  to  be  Nergal  as  god 
sa  stiqi,  'of  the  street,'  though  the  middle  character  is  damaged,  and 
the  reading  and  rendering  therefore  doubtful.  Perhaps  the  Babylonian 
streets  had  their  dangers  as  ours  have,  but  probably  more  from 
assassins  than  from  the  vehicles  passing  every  moment. 

^  The  lower  part  is  unfortunately  damaged  by  a  crack  which  crosses  four  of 
the  lines,  either  destroying  the  names,  or  rendering  them  defective.  See  W.A.I. 
Ill,  pi.  67,  lines  69-71'^.'^. 

209  S    2 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

K.  5268  +  K.  5373. 

THE    CUTHEAN    HYMN    TO    NERGAL. 

Transcription. 

1(7.  Ur-sag  dingirrene  im-tuk  ea  kalagga  dumu  Enlilla 
i/'.   LuttcCid  qarradii  Uani  ^^asrii  supn  mar  Bel 

2a.  D.P.  Urra  ur-sag  dingirrene  ini-tuk  ea  kalagga  dumu  Enlilla 
2b.   D.P.  Nergal  luttaUd  qarrad  ildni  gasru  siipu  mar  Bel 

la.  kiagga  Enlilla  sag-kalaga  mah  adani  su-garraga 
3/;.    7iaram  Bel  asaredu  slrii  muter  ^i)iiilhi  dbi-su 

^.a.   [mu]h-tudda  D.P.  Nin-mah  nun  gala  dumu  lugalani  "^^  tu-ni  bus 

gidia 
4l>.    [////]// Z>./'.  Belli  ildni  sarrat  rabiti  mar  sarri"'  sa  ana  emuki-su 

taklii 

5a.  a-gala  [dingirjrene  massu  mah  ur-sag  gala  dur-mah  Enlilli 
^b.   igi-galla  ila?ii  massu  siru  qarradu  ralni  tukulti  Bel 

6a.  D.P.  Urra  dingir  ni-hus  aria  su-nep-[sisi  ?] 

6b.   D.P.  Nergal  ihi  czzi  sa  ^  puluhti  u  rasubbatu  .... 

7a.  dingirazaggaD.P.  Utu-qimeme-lam9(?)  [kala]g(?)-ga  ne-gar  .... 
7(5.    ilu  ell II  sa  zimu-su  kima  Jiur  D.P.  Samas 

8a.   D.P.  Urra  gala  en  ea  tun-nai"(?)  gala  (?) 

8b.   D.P.  Nergal  belu  supu  sakin  tahtu 

Qrt.  dingir  kalagga  mu-bi  galla  hula  dingir  namtara  .  .  . 
^b.    [flu     ^bu  sa  a)ia  zikri  snmi-su  gallc  u  navitare^'^  .  .  . 

loa.   [D.P.  Ur]ra  erim  kalagga  hul-gala  

lob.   [D.P.  N]ergal  sa  aabi  limnutu  dannu  unab- 

«  Clearly  J:^   ^   \\    ^.  "'  C^- 

Y  ,  judging  from  the  traces. 

'  So  also  Macmillan,  who  has  publisheci  this  text  in  the  Beitrdge  zur  Assyriologie, 
V,  p.  582  seq.  The  inscription  having  now  been  issued,  I  withhold  my  copy, 
which  I  originally  intended  to  give  here. 

10  Or   *-\X^,  en. 

210 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

iia.  .  .  .  k]i-gala  dagalla  a-didi  hul-gala  dingirre[ne]  .... 
11/^ crsiti  rapasli  kasid  ildni  li\jnnuti  .... 

i2fl.   [D.P.  Mes-la]m-ta-ea  en  D.P.  Anunnaki  na  sid-du  ^2  .... 
\2b.    {D.P.  Do.  i5^]/i'5(?)  D.P.  Anunnaki  bel petii 

130 dingir  azagga  gana-bi  igi-taba 

13^.    [ ilii\  ellu  sa  ina  kakkabe  sa-ma  (})- 


14a. 
14^. 


Reverse, 
lb //  .   . 


2a.   D.P.  Urra  a-gala  tila  zi  ki-aga- 

2b.   D.P.  Nerml  ilii  miaiialku  sa  biilfa  irammii 


3a.  uru-zu  Amarada  D.S.      ig-giga  dua  sala^^-[.su] 

3^.   alu-ka  dl  Marad  sa  marusti  imhu- 

4a.  dingir  Amarada  D.S.  dur-a  uru-zu  gina  igi- 

4^.   D.P.  Nergal  ana  dli-ka  dl  Marad  kinis  nap-li^-^(})- 

5a.   u  mae  namtila  ig-gig-ga  (?) 

e^b.   II  idsi  drdii  palih-ka  i** In- 

da.  D.  Pp.  Bel-remanni  (?)  i" nam  .  .  ea  su  (?) 

db.  D.Pp.  {Bel-ri'tnannii^) miUu  tagmila  napi\sti^^  .... 

1 rab(?)-z^^  D.P.  Nergal  dannu  kalagga  ildni 

8.     Ki  pi  duppi  gab-ri  Gudua  (Kuti)  D.S.  satir-ma  bari 

Here  follows  a  blank  space,  which  would  accommodate  three  or 
four  lines. 

^^   ^111  J^  *"2li  J    SiJ-du 

"  The  character  here  is  ^J  ,  suggesting  the  completion  »->>f-  Jf  "^flt  S^f' 

^^■^  -^y.  1-^  Traces  only,  which  are  possibly  those  of  ■^>^I  AJ- 

^^  The  traces  following  this  are    T^ J-^4<2^^-2d^M  • 
'-'  T    ^R    Hffl  «  ^>  followed  by  i&i,,^^r. 

^'  Z^^^Z^^-T^ff  y  "^P'^  ^  >    perhaps   \  *>^m   >^  *^r~  ^ '  "■'^"^  ^^^^  '''^^^' 
Cf.  obv.,  \2b. 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.KOLOGV.  [1906. 

K.  5268. 
Translation. 

1.  Let  me  glorify  the  hero  of  the  gods,  the  powerful,  the  brilliant  one, 

the  son  of  Bel  ; 

2.  Nergal  -^  let  me  glorify,   the  hero  of  the  gods,  the  powerful,  the 

brilliant  one,  the  son  of  Bel ; 

3.  The  beloved  of  Bel,  the  supreme  leader,  the  avenger  of  his  father ; 

4.  Th£  offspring  of  the  Lady  of  the  gods,-^  the  great  queen  —  ;  the  son  of 

the  king,  who  trusts  in  his  might ; 

5.  The  clever  one  of  the  gods,  the  sublime  oracle-priest,  the  great  hero, 

the  trust  of  Bel. 

6.  Nergal,~^  the  powerful  god,  fear  and  terror  \?  fill  his  hand\ 

7.  Glonous  god,  whose  figure  \shineth  zvith  mighty  splendour~\  like 

the  light  of  the  sun  god. 

8.  Nergal,-^"*  brilliant  lord,  caitsing  the  overthrow -^ 

9.  l^The  7nighty  if)  god\  ivho,  for  the  renown  of  his  name,  the  evil 

devils  and  fat\es  overcometK\. 

10.  Nergal,  who  the  evil  atid  poiverful  foe  overthro\jvet1i\  ; 

11.  [A^ergal^,  tvho  the  wide  earth  captureth,  the  \evir\  gods  [subduetli] 

12.  \_Mes-lci\m-ta-ca,  lord  of  the  Anu?inaki,  who  openeth ^4 

13 the  glorious  god  7vho  a7nong  the  stars  of  heav\e){\ 

(Broken.) 

Reverse. 

I 

2.  Nergal,  powerful  god,  who  loveth  the  saving  of  life  .... 

3.  Thy  city  Marad,  which  hath  misfortune,  [grant  to  her]  thy  favour. 

4.  Nergal,  tip  on  thy  city  Alar  ad  look  7vith  favour  .  .  . 

5.  And  as  for  me,  the  servant  ivorshipping  thee,  \save  thou]  {my)  life^ 

which  by  evil  [is  attacked  ?] 

6.  Bel-remanni death,  preserve  my  li[fe'\ 


7.  .   .   [to]  the  great  [?  lord]  Nergal,  the  powerful  one  of  the  gods  .  .  . 

8.  Written  atid  made  clear  according  to  the  tablet,  the  copy  of  Cuthah. 

-'"  Urra  in  the  Sumerian  line.  -^  In  Sumerian  :  Nin-mah. 

-'-  Sum.:  "princess."  '■^'  Sum.:   "  a  great  (?)  overthrow." 

-■*  This   is   from    the    Sumerian   line,  which   is   slightly  more   perfect.      The 
Babylonian  rendering  differs,  and  has  at  the  end  "  the  lord  opening  ..." 

212 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

This  is,  naturally,  only  a  kind  of  address  to  Nergal  by  one  of  his 
special  worshippers,  and  ends  in  the  usual  way,  that  is,  with  a  prayer 
for  mercy  and  favour  both  for  himself  and  for  the  city  of  Marad, 
Nergal's  abode.  In  the  obverse  of  the  inscription,  however,  we  have 
the  information  that  Nergal  was  regarded  as  the  son  of  Bel  and  of 
the  Lady  of  the  gods.  In  this  we  may  perhaps  see  the  older  Bel  and 
his  consort,  but  if  so,  the  parentage  of  Nergal  was  in  later  days 
transferred  from  him  to  Bel-Merodach,  whose  consort  was  Zer-panitu"", 
'the  seed-creatress,'  identified,  in  one  of  the  lists,  with  Aruru,  who 
made  the  seed  of  mankind  with  Merodach,  and  was  also  identified 
with  the  Lady  of  the  Gods.  The  third  line,  which  calls  Nergal  the 
avenger  of  his  father,  seems  to  point  to  some  legend  concerning  him 
which  has  still  to  be  discovered. 

Another  interesting  question  is  presented  by  the  reverse.  As  is 
well  known,  Cuthah  was  the  principal  city  of  Nergal's  worship,  the 
city  which  is  mentioned  in  the  colophon.  In  the  body  of  the  text, 
however,  his  city  is  referred  to  as  Marad,  suggesting  that  that  city 
and  Cuthah  were  one  and  the  same  place.  As  most  of  the  cities  of 
Babylonia  bore  more  than  one  name,  this  would  seem  to  be  very 
probable,  and  may  be  settled  by  further  research.  The  worshipper's 
name  seems  to  have  been  Bel-remanni,  either  a  priest  of  Nergal,  or  a 
little-known  Babylonian  king. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  bilingual  inscriptions  concerning 
this  god,  however,  is  that  published  on  plate  24  of  the  Cu7ieifo7-m 
Inscriptiotis  of  Western  Asia,  Vol.  IV.  This  is  in  the  form  of 
eulogistic  phrases  in  which  each  line,  it  may  be  supposed,  was  first 
uttered  by  the  priest,  and  then  repeated  by  the  people.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  ends  of  the  Imes  are  wanting  in  every  case,  so  that  a 
satisfactory  rendering  of  the  text  is  at  present  impossible  : — 

12.   Priest:  Leader,  lu  hose  face  is  bright,  the  shifting  mouth    of  the 
powerful  f  re-god  \illuminateth  hin{\. 

14.  People  :  Nergal,  leader,  whose  face  is  bright,  etc. 

15.  Priest :   The  lusty  son  beloved  of  t/ie  heart  of  Bel,  the  great  director 

[of  the  world\ 

17.  People:  Nergal,  lusty  son,  etc. 

18.  Priest :  Prince  of  the  great  gods,  who  \_spreadetJ{\  fear  and  azve. 

20.  People  :  Nergal,  prince,  etc. 

213 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-EOLOGY.  [1906. 

21.   Priest;    Giafit  of  the  Annnnaki,  who    \spreadet}{\    terrible   azve 
[over  all  the  lands]. 

23.  People  :  Nergal  is  the  giant,  etc. 

24.  Priest :  Lord,  supre?ne  being,  beloved  of  E-kura,  the    record  of 

whose  natne  \overconieth  evil]. 

26.  People  :  Nergal  is  the  supreme  being,  etc. 

27.  Priest :  High  one  among  the  great  gods,  who  sceptre  and  decision 

\over  the  lafid  holdeth]. 

29.  People  :  Nergal  is  the  high  one,  etc. 

30.  Priest :  Dragon  supreme,  pouring  out  venom  over  them  \tlu  hostile 

lands]. 

32.  People :  PJ'ergal,  dragon  supreme,  etc. 

33.  Priest :  His  bright  linage  (?)  overs hadoweth  the  potverful  demons 

right  and  left. 

35.  People  :  Nergal,  his  bright  i?nage,  etc. 

36.  Priest :   The  long  arm  ^uhose  blotv  {disease)  is  itivisible,  the  evil 

one  ivith  hi.-<  arm  [he  smiteth]. 

38.  People  :  Nergal,  the  long  arm,  etc. 

39.  Priest :   Great  god  .  .  at  the  7ioise  of  tvhose  feet  the  house  of  a 

man  [is  not  disturbed  ?] 

4 1 .  People  :  Nergal,  great  god,  etc. 

42.  Priest :    The  lord  who  goeth  about  in  the  night,  who  ....  the 

ivometi  (?)  ivho  a?^  by  themselves  (?)  he 

44.  People  :  Nergal,  tlie  lord  who  goeth  about  by  night, 

45.  Priest  :    The  hero  whose  tuhip  (?)....  speaketh,    the   voice   op 

all  (?)... 

47.  People  :  Nergal,  the  hero  whose  tvhip,  etc. 

48.  Priest :   The  single-hearted  one  (?)  whose  strength  is  mighty,  like  a 

dream  by  barriers  he  is  7iot  [restrained]. 

50.  People  :  Nergal,  the  single-hearted  one  (?),  etc. 

5 1 .  Priest :  Hero,  the  foe  of  E-kura,  the  enemy  of  Dur-an-ki,  thou 

[entrappesi]. 

53.  People  :  Nergal,  hero,  the  foe,  etc. 

54.  Priest :   The  great  furnace,   the  fierce  fire-god,  whose   attack    [is 

irresistible]. 
56.  People:  Nergal,  the  great  furnace,  etc. 

214 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

57.   Priest:   The  stor?n-flood  destroying  the   land  of  the  disobedient, 

\capticring\  the  opponents  (?)  of  the  great  gods. 
59.   People  :  Nergal,  the  stormflood  destroying,  etc. 

Here  this  noteworthy  but  exceedingly  unsatisfactory  text  breaks 
off,  but  we  have  in  it  a  further  view  of  the  nature  of  this  deity 
worshipped  by  the  Babylonians  and  Assyrians.  He  was  not  only 
god  of  war,  but  also  of  disease  and  death,  and  in  connection  with 
this  it  is  noteworthy  that  his  arm  was  long  {Ida  drrakatie'")  to  strike  the 
blow  of  disease,  and  his  power  invisible,  as  Mr.  Campbell  Thompson 
translates.  If  this  rendering  be  correct,  it  would  be  a  very  good 
description  of  the  insidious  action  of  the  god  of  disease  and  death, 
whose  ways,  for  the  ancient  Babylonians,  must  have  been  past  finding 
out.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this  that  it  could  be  truly  said,  that 
the  fear  and  awe  of  him  was  spread  over  all  the  lands,  and  it  is  note- 
worthy that,  as  a  god  wishing  the  Babylonians  well,  he  could  not  do 
them  any  injury — indeed,  his  name  overcame  evil,  and  opposed  the 
powerful  demons,  who  might  do  harm  to  their  land,  right  and  left. 
As,  moreover,  no  just  man  could  be  injured  by  him,  the  implication 
in  these  lines  seems  to  be,  that  any  person  smitten  by  disease  must  of 
necessity  be  evil,  or  must  have  committed  some  sin,  as  was  the 
common  belief  in  ancient  times. 

Most  entertaining  of  all,  however,  is  the  account  of  the  way  in 
which  Nergal  became  the  spouse  of  Eres-ki-gal,  and  at  the  same  time 
lord  of  the  underworld,  where  that  goddess  from  of  old  had  her 
domain.  This  legend  is  contained  on  fragments  from  Tel-el-Amarna, 
now  in  the  British  and  Berlin  Museums.  An  excellent  translation 
has  been  published  by  Jensen,  of  which  I  have  made  use. 

First  Fragment. 

1.  When  the  gods  made  a  feast, 

2.  to  their  sister  Eres-ki-gal 

3.  they  sent  a  messenger  : 

4.  '  We  can  indeed  descend  to  thee, 

5.  but  thou  canst  not  ascend  to  us — 

6.  Send  then,  and  someone  shall  receive  thy  food.' 

7.  So  Eres-ki-gal  sent  Namtaru,  her  messenger, 

'    8.  and  Namtaru  mounted  to  the  heavens  sublime, 
9.  entering  the  place  where  sat  the  gods. 

10.   Th^y then  Namtar, 

215 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

1 1 .  the  messenger  of  their  eldest  sister  : 

12.  they  assembled to  his  la  fid. 

13.  The  supreme  god 

14 his  lady. 

15 they  7vept  and  lamented. 

(Illegible  ends  of  three  lines.) 

Second  Fragment. 
(Remains  of  three  lines.) 

4.  {sav)  thus :  '  The  god  who  stood  not  up  before  my  messenger, 

5.  bring  him  to  my  presence,  that  I  may  kill  him.'' 

6.  Namtaru  then  went,  he  talked  with  the  gods — 

7.  the  gods  answered  him,  a?id  talked  with  him  of  death  : 

8.  '  Behold,  the  god  who  stood  not  up  before  thee, 

9.  take  hitn  to  the  presence  of  thy  mistress.' 

10.  Namtaru  thefi  counted  them,  and  a  god  behind  ivas  hiding. 

11.  '  Who  is  he,  the  god,  who  has  not  stood  up  before  me  ? ' 
12 Namtar  we7it,  he  had  mercy  i^)  upon  him. 

13 them  and 

14 the  god  behind 

15.   ' where  is  he  ? 

16 

17 her  messenger. 

(Here  the  tablet  is  broken.) 

Reverse. 

1.  '  Take  to  Eres-ki-gal 

2.  to  the  presence  of  Ea,  his  father 

3.  and  may  she  give  me  life  (?).'     '  Fear  not 

4.  will  I  give  thee — 7  and  7  \companions'\ 

5.  to  go  with   thee — the  god  ....  the  god  .  .  .  the  god  .  .  .  -ba^ 

the  god  Mutabriqu, 

6.  the  gods  Sarabdu,  Rabisu,  Tirid,  Hutu, 

7.  Benna,  Sldana,  Mikif,  Bel-katri, 

8.  Umma,  Liba 

9.  shall  go  zvith  thee.'     Nergal  then  approached  the  gate 

10.  of  Eres-ki-gal.     He  said  to  the  watchman '  Open  thy  gate 

1 1 .  loose  the  fastening :  that  I  may  enter — to  the  presence  of  thy  mistresSy 

12.  Eres-ki-gal,  am  I  sent.'      The  ivatchman  theft  tvent ; 

13.  he  said  to  Namtaru,  ''A  god  stands  at  the  entrafice  of  the  gate, 

216 


Nov.  7]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

14.  come^  look  at  him.,  and  let  him  enter. ^     N^amtdrii  went  out, 

15.  (and)  saiv  him,  and  .  .   .  said 

16.  to  his  mistress,  ''My  lady,  {it  is)  the  god  ivho,  in  the  former 

17.  months  went,  and  would  not  statid  up  before  me.' 

18.  ^  Bring  him  in, let  him  come,  let  me  kill  him.^ 

19.  Namtdru  tvent  out,  he  said  to  the  god,  ''Enter,  my  lord, 

20.  into  the  house  of  thy  sister,  and thy  going  forth 

21 Nergal,  may  thy  heart  reioice. 

Reverse  of  the  B.M.  Fragment. 

1.  [the  god  ....  in  the  first,  the  god  ....  i?i  the  second\ 

2.  .  .  .  -bu  in  tJu  third,  Mutabrigu  in  the  fourth, 

3.  Sarabdu  ifi  the  fifth,  Rabimi  in  the  sixth,  Tirid 

4.  in  the  seventh,  Ilntu  in  the  eighth,  Bennu 

5.  in  the  ninth,  Sldanu  in  the  tejith,  Mikit 

6.  in  the  eleventh,  Bel-kabri  in  the  twelfth, 

7.  Ummu  in  the  thirteenth,  Libu  in  the  foicrteenth 

8.  gate  he  placed.     He  cut  off  her  huduba  (?)  /;/  the  court, 

9.  giving  a  command  to  N^amtdru,  his  warrior  :  '  The  gates 

10.  shall  be  ofetied — now  will  I  rush  upon  you.' 

11.  Within  the  house  he  seized  Eris-ki-gal, 

12.  by  her  hair  he  dragged  her  doiV7i  then  from  the  throne 

13.  to  the  ground,  her  head  to  cut  off. 

14.  '  Slay  me  not,  my  brother,  let  me  speak  to  thee.'' 

15.  IVhefi  Nergal  heard  her,  loosing  his  hands,  iveeping  she  sobbed  : 

16.  ''Be  thoti  my  husband  and  I  thy  wife.     I  will  cause  thee  to  take 

17.  the  kingdom  in  the  wide  earth.     I  will  place  the  tablet 

18.  of  wisdom  in  thy  hand,  thou  shall  be  lord, 

19.  I  ivill  be  lady.'     Nergal  heard  this,  her  speech — 

20.  he  took  her,  kissing  her,  and  wiping  away  her  tears  : 

21.  '  Whatever  thou  hast  asked  me  for  months  Past 

22.  noiv  receives  consent.' 

Conjecturally  the  lacunae  may  be  easily  filled  up.  When 
Namtaru,  Eres-ki-gal's  messenger,  arrived  on  high  to  fetch  his 
mistress's  share  of  the  feast,  all  the  gods  stood  up  before  him,  except 
one,  and  on  his  return  he  informed  the  Queen  of  Hades  of  the  want 
of  respect  on  the  part  of  one  of  her  brothers  on  high.  The  result 
was,  that  the  messenger  was  sent  back  with  the  demand  that  the 
delinquent  should  be  delivered  up  to  her,  that  she  might  punish  him 

217 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

with  death.  The  gods  consented,  but  did  not  like  parting  with  their 
companion,  though  they  recognized  the  justice,  from  their  point  of 
view,  of  Eres-ki-gal's  demand.  Namtaru  seems,  therefore,  to  have 
been  sent  back  with  words  of  consent,  and  a  statement  that  Nergal 
would  follow  afterwards.  Appeal  was  apparently  made  to  the  god 
Ea  (Ae)  for  counsel,  the  result  being,  that  Nergal  was  promised 
twice  seven  companions,  whose  names  are  given,  some  of  them  being 
recognizable  as  personifications  of  the  ills  which  sometimes  afflict 
mankind :  Mutabriqu,  the  thrower  of  lightning ;  Rabisu,  the  lier  in 
wait ;  Tirid,  the  driver ;  Benna,  some  kind  of  sickness ;  Umma, 
fever,  etc.  With  these  he  goes  down  to  the  gate  of  Hades,  and 
commands  the  watchman  to  open.  Namtaru  announces  him,  and 
Eres-ki-gal  directs  that  Nergal  should  be  brought  in,  that  she  might 
kill  him.  The  god  of  death,  however,  had  other  ideas,  and  posts  his 
companions  at  the  fourteen  gates  of  Hades,  so  as  to  make  sure, 
apparently,  of  a  free  passage  to  the  interior.  What  it  was  that 
Nergal  cut  off  in  the  courtyard  of  Hades  is  unknown — the  word  is 
doubtful,  and  research  is  at  present  powerless  to  reveal  its  correct 
form,   or  to   enable   one   to   judge  what  the   object   may  be.     An 

alternative  translation  would  be,   '  He  cut  the  (?  two) which 

were  in  the  court,'  perhaps  something  which  kept  the  gates  closed,  or 
which  communicated  with  the  interior,  giving  notice  of  the  approach 
of  an  enemy. 

Nergal  is  then  represented  as  giving  a  command  to  his  warrior — 
probably  in  prospective — the  spirit  of  fate,  Namtaru,  saying,  '  Let  the 
gates  be  opened,'  and  having  rushed  in,  instead  of  being  himself 
killed  by  Ere.s-ki-gal,  he  seized  her  by  the  hair,  with  the  intention  of 
serving  her  as  she  would  have  served  him.  Her  proposal  that  they 
should  wed,  instead  of  his  cutting  her  head  off,  is  made  in  the  same 
words  as  Istar  used  to  the  hero  Gilgames  with  different  result. 
Nergal,  however,  at  once  accepts,  and  the  words  which  he  uses  after 
kissing  her  and  wiping  away  her  tears,  suggest  that  all  this  comedy 
was  part  of  the  courtship,  and  that  she  had  already  sent  to  him  in 
the  realms  above,  asking  for  various  things,  which  Nergal  had  not 
felt  inclined  to  grant,  hence  her  demand  for  him  to  be  delivered  to 
her  for  immediate  execution  as  a  punishment  for  not  standing  up  in 
the  presence  of  her  messenger.  If  the  words  be  rightly  understood, 
he  at  the  end  grants  her  all  her  desires. 

{To  be  conti?iued.) 
218 


Nov.  7]        ASSYRIAN  INCANTATION  AGAINST  GHOSTS.  [1906. 


AN    ASSYRIAN    INCANTATION    AGAINST    GHOSTS. 
By  R.  Campbell  Thompson,  Af.A. 

The  following  is  a  transliteration  and  translation  of  my  copy 
of  the  Assyrian  Tablet  K.  2175,  published  in  Part  XXIII  of 
Cuneiform  Texts  from  Babylonian  Tablets.,  etc.,  "plates  1^,  ff.  The 
contents  are  new,  and  describe  the  methods  of  laying  a  ghost  which 
has  appeared.  As  usual,  long  formulae  containing  the  descriptions 
of  all  possible  apparitions  are  prescribed,  in  order  that  the  wizard 
may  show  that  he  knows  the  name  of  the  haunting  spirit.  "A 
brother's  ghost,  or  a  twin,  or  one  unnamed,  or  with  none  to  pay  it 
rites,  or  one  slain  by  the  sword,  or  one  that  hath  died  by  fault  of 
god,  or  sin  of  king  "  (Col.  I,  //.  6-8),  or  "the  ghost  of  one  unburied, 
or  of  a  brother,  or  anything  evil''^  (//.  22-23).  The  most  interesting 
part  is  the  actual  charm.  Two  different  kinds  of  thread  or  hair  are 
to  be  spun  together  and  knotted  seven  times,  and  the  ends  are  to  be 
sprinkled  with  a  mixture  of  cedar  oil,  the  man's  spittle,  leavened 
dough,  earth  from  an  old  grave,  earth  (or  dust)  from  the  roots 
of  some  thorny  plant,  dust  from  an  ant-hole,  and  one  or  two 
other  ingredients  of  which  the  translation  is  doubtful.  The  man's 
temples  are  to  be  bound  with  this,  after  the  due  incantation  has 
been  repeated,  and  it  is  apparently  to  be  twisted  tighter  until  a 
change  of  colour  in  his  face  occurs,  but  this  last,  however,  is  a  little 
doubtful.  It  is  not  curious  to  find  the  same  materials  for  spells 
found  in  Semitic  charms  of  a  later  date,  many  of  these,  notably  dust 
from  old  graves,  and  earth  from  an  ant-heap ,  occurring  in  quite 
modern  Oriental  grimoires. 

To  complete  the  charm,  two  little  figures,  probably  of  clay  or 
some  plastic  material,  are  to  be  made,  one  to  represent  the  living 
man,  and  the   other   the   dead  man  whose  ghost  is  now  roaming 

^  For  this  phrase,  compare  Meissner,  Ritualtafeln,  p.  152,  No.  45,  /.  9,  but  it 
is  also  possible  to  translate  it  here  "  or  of  an  evil  brother  or  sister." 

219 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL-IiOLOGY.  [1906, 

on  earth.-  The  magician  is  then  to  dig  a  grave  and  bury  the  latter 
in  it,  while  the  former  he  is  to  wash  in  pure  water  and  lay  in  the  sun ; 
the  head  of  the  man  himself,  together  with  his  whole  body,  is  to  be 
washed  in  oil,  and  a  spell  repeated  three  times. 

There  is  another  incantation  to  be  used  when  the  ghost  of  the 
dead  man  has  been  recognized,  and  his  name  is  known.  A  small 
clay  figure  of  the  dead  man  is  to  be  made,  and  inscribed  on  the 
left  side  with  his  name ;  this  is  to  be  placed  in  a  gazelle's  horn  (as 
a  cofifin),  a  hole  is  to  be  dug  in  the  shadow  of  a  caper  or  thorn  bush, 
and  it  is  then  to  be  buried  there. 

OBVERSE. 

Col.  I. 


.  .  di  sa  ki  ba(?)  innammaru  (ru) 

lu  ekimmu  sa  ina  a-ra-an  ili  u  se-rit  sarri  [imut] 

'?"dalat  babi-ia  li-tir  irat-ka  ina  ka- 

ZI  AN.NA  KAN.PA  ZI  KI.A  KAN.[PA] 

AN.ZA.GAR  IGI.LA  SI.NE.IN.DU.RU  GABA-ZU 
KAN.NI.LA 


Siptu  .  Ekimmu  GAR.SAG.NAM.MA  US.US-an-ni  ur-ra  u 
musi(?)  .   .   pu(?)-luh(?)-tu  .   .  .  lu  ekimmu  a-hu-u 

lu-u  ekimmu  ma-su-u  lu-u  ekimmu  sa  su-ma  la  na-bu-u  lu-u 
ekimmu  sa  pa-ki-da  la  i-su-u 

lu-u  ekimmu  sa  .  .  .  .  lu-u  ekimmu  sa  ina  '^^kakki  di-ki  lu-u 
ekimmu  sa  ina  a-ra-an  ili  u  se-rit  sarri  imCit 

su  an-na-a  lim-hur-ma  ia-a-si  li-mas-si-ra-an-ni 

10.    [INIM  .  INIM  .  MA  BAD  .  MES]  IGI  .  MeI^~ 

tippus  suati  VII  GAR.DU.DU  GAR.KU.SE.[SA.A] 

ri-te  supur  alpi  sami 
KU.SE.SA.A  GAR.SE.SIS  ana  pani  tanadi  siptu  an-ni-tu  III-su 

tamanu  (nu)  ....  tanakki  (ki) 

Siptu  .  NiseP'  mi-ta-tum  am-me-ni  tannammaru  itti-ia  sa  alani?'- 

si-na  tilanipi  .  .  .  -si-na  iz-me-e-tum 
ana-ku  ul  al-lak  ana   KtJti'^'   bu-hur  ekimmi  at-tu-nu  am-me-ni 

.  .  P'-ka  ar-ki-ia  tum-me-tu-nu 

^  The  figure  of  the  dead  man  is  then,  as  far  as  can  be  made  out  from  a  broken 
line  in  the  text,  to  have  a  dirty  libation  poured  on  it,  while  that  of  the  living 
receives  one  of  pure  water ;  but  this  is  doubtful. 

220 


Nov.  7]        ASSYRIAN  INCANTATION  AGAINST  GHOSTS.  [1906. 

15.    ''"A-ba-tu  assat  sarri  ""AUatu  assat  sarri  ''"NIN.KURUN.AN.NA 
^^'dupsarratu  sa  ilanip'  sa  ka-an  dup-pa-sa  ^^""uknu  ^''^""samtu 

INIM  .  INIM  .  MA  BAD  .  MES  IGI  .  MES 

tippus  suati  ....  ana  erib  ''"Samsi  bat-te  ana  lib  karan  alpi  a-hi 
tibut(ut)(?)  KU.SE.SA.A  GAR.SE.SIS  tanadi  (di) 

KAB     KUR     me-su-nu-ti     tamahas(as)    siptu    III-su 

tamanu  (nu)  me-su-nu-ti  ana  buri 

taballal     GAR.NA  GI.BIL.LA  tus-ba-'-su 

20.    [Siptu  .  ''"Samsu]    mus-te-sir   eluta(ta)P^  u  sapl<ita(ta)  [p^]   pa-tir 

ka-si-e  at-ta-ma 
[ekimmu    GAR.SAG]  .  NAM.MA    US.US-an-ni  pa- 

.  .  .  pu-luh-tu  ar-ta-na-as-su-u 
[lu-u]  utukku  lim-nu  lu-[u]alfi  lim-nu  lu-u  ekimmu 

lim-nu 
[lu-u  ekimmu]  la  kib-ru  [lu-u]  ekimmu  sa  ahi  u  minima 

lim-nu 

lu-u  ekimmu  sa  ina  seri  na-du-ma 

25 a-su  pi-kid-su 

[INIM  .  INIM  .  MA  BAD  .  MES]  IGI  .  MES 

-rat  A.BAR  in-na-as-su-u 

MAH  IM.RI.A-su  tus-ta-na-al-su-nu-ti 

DIM.MA.GE     E.NE 

30 [HE].EN.SI.IN.GIN.NA 

[UTUG.HUL  A.LA.HUL]  BAR.KU  HE.IM.TA.GUB 

[INIM  .  INIM  .MA  BAD  .  MES]  IGI  .  MES 

[siptu  .  ^■"<^i"n]SA(?)GAZ.ZA  kataii-su  limsi  u  HAR.GIM^^ 
takabbi  ''"Samsu  ekimmu  limnu  sa  at-ta  tidi-ma 

ana-ku  la  idi  u  la  itihhi  la  i-kar-ri-ba  la  inakar(?)  .  .  a-lak-ta-su 
purus  (us)  takabbi-ma 
35.    supur  alpi  sami  KU.SE.SIS  ana  libbi  tanadi  (di)  ina  ^^'"'""elpiti 
dis-si-nis(?)tamahas(as)  tanakki(ki)-ma  mitiitip'  ipparrasuP' 

Siptu  .  DINGIR.BABBAR  LUGAL  GIDIM.GIDIM.E.NE. 
GE  :  GIDIM    IM.su   TU.UL.RU.A 

^  "  Like  a  .   .  .  "    The  phrase  seems  to  mean  "  clearly,"  and  occurs  elsewhers 
with  kabA  (see  C.T.,  Part  XXIII,  pi.  I,  1.  12). 

221 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

gu.si.ne.in.gab.ru  igi.la.e  :  gu.si.ne.in.gab.ru 

ME.  EN 

dingir.babbar  dingir.za.gar  dingir.ma.hir. 

da  la.e  gi.a  nu.igi.e  me.en  dingir.za.gar 

dingir.ma.hir.da 
gar.zag  su  bal.bal.e.ne  me.en  :  tu  dingir.en. 

ki  dar  zu.ab  dar  zu.ab.ge 
40.  en.gal  dingir.babbar  ki.bi  he.en.bal.e  :  mu. 

pad.da  dingir.ri.e.ne 
dingir.za.gar  dingir.ma.hir.da.ri.a  :  dingir. 

nin.ki.gal  dingir.nin.a.zu.ge 
nam.mu.un.da.an.bur.ri       dingir.ne.urugal 

dur.gu.bi  he.ne.in.sar.sar 

INIM.INIM.MA  enuma  amelu  mitu  itti  ameli  balti  ana  limutti 
innammar  ana  parasi-im(?)-ma  la  innammar  .  . 

tippus  suati  ^'P-^'^pusikki  ^'p-'^'^KAN.ME.DA  estenis(nis)  titimmi 

VII  kisri  takasar 
45.    saman  erini  ru'uti  (?)  ameli   KU.SE.SIS  epir  kimahhi  labiri  pi 

pu-lu-uk-ki  '-"asagi  (?) 
epir  isdi  balti  epir  zir-ba-bi  estenis(nis)  taballal  ki-is-ri  tasallah 

e-ma  taksur  sipti  tamani  ina  SAG.KI  [ameli  takasar] 
ki-a-am  tu-kin-nu-su''  a-di  sami  pa-an  pi-si-e  pi-zu-u  pa-an  si-rip 

sami  is-sak-[kan] 
ekimmu   sa   itti-ia    innammar    a-a    i-tu-ram-ma    ina   ma-sa-rat 

Ami  (?) 

sum-ma  tidi-su  suma-su  takasar(ar)-sum-ma  ina  musi  lu  ina  kal 

tame 


Col.  II. 


salam  ameli  miti  ana 

ana  pani-su  tasakkan  (an)  salam  ameli  balti 

salam  ameli  balti  ina  karpat  me  (?)  .  .  tanakki  (ki)  salam  ameli 
miti  ina  karpat  la 

^  Read  thus  with  Col.  II,  1.  23. 
222 


Nov.  7]        ASSYRIAN  INCANTATION  AGAINST  GHOSTS.  [1906. 

5.    salam  ameli  miti  kimahhi  tanakar-ma  te-[kib]-bir-su  :  ZI   PAD. 

DE  E  TU  UT  MA'SU '.  .  . 

salam  ameli  balti  ina  me  ellutiP^  timissi  [ina]  pani  ''"Samsi  tar-sa 

ili  ameli  marsi  zumri-su  kakkadi-[su] samni 

tu-ra-hu-su   III-su[takabbi]ur-rLi-u  ka-si  sil-lii  sal-lu  ana    biti-su 
sutesur 

Siptu.  ""Samsu  sar  same  u  irsiti  daian  el<ita(ta)p'  u  sapluta  (ta) 

bel  ameli  miti  mur-te-du-u  ameli  balti 
■'"Samsu  mitutiP'   sa  is-sak-nu-nim-ma  innammaru  (ru)  lu  ekim 

abi-ia  u  ummi-ia  lu  ekim  ahi-ia 
10.    u  ahati-ia  an-nam  lim-hu-ru-ma  ia-a-si  li-mas-si-ru-nin-ni 


tippus  suati  ina  se-rim  ina  simetan  .  .  ki-sir  me  elliiti  tasallah  pani 
""Samsi  GAR.NA  RIG.LI  tasakkan  (an)  bi-ris  tanakki  (ki) 

sinat  imiri  ina  supur  alpi  .  .  .  [ekimmu]  sa  itti  ameli  innammar 
III-su  tanakki(ki)-ma  ameli  mitutiP'  ipparrasuP' 

Enuma  amelu  mitu  ifti  ameli  balti  innammaru [salmi] 

sa  titti  tippus  (us)   suma-su    ina   naglabi   sumeli-su    tasatar 

ana  lib  karan  sabiti  tasakkan-su-ma  pani-su 

[inajsilli  '?"balti  lu  ina  silli  '^^asagi 
15.    buri  tanakar-ma  te-kib-bir-su takabbi 

(Remainder  too  mutilated  for  insertion.) 

Obverse. 
Col.  I. 

[  Whether  thou  art  a  ghost  that'] 


Or  a  ghost  that  \Jiath  died\  by  fault  of  god,  or  sin  of  king  .... 

May  the  door  of  my  portal  turn  thee  back 

By  Heaven  be  thou  exorcised  I   By  Earth  be  thou  exorcised  /  .  .  .  . 
May   Zagar,    that  appearethi^\   go   i?i  front  (and)  [turn]  thee 
back 

Incantation.  The  ghost  that  hath  ....  and  hath  attacked 
me,  by  day  and  night{f)  [castefh  ?]  fearQ)  \jipon  me] ; 
whether  it  be  the  ghost  of  a  brother, 

Or  a  tivin-ghost,  or  a  ghost  without  a  name,  or  a  ghost  with  none 
to  care  for  it, 

223  T 


Kov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGV.  [1906. 

Or  a  ghost  which  .  ...  ^  or  a  ghost  slain  by  the  sivord,  or  a 

ghost  that  hath  died  by  fault  of  god  or  sin  of  king, 
may  it  accept  this,  and  leave  me  free  ! 

10.  [Prayer  for  the  deadly         appearing. 

Thou  shall  do  this :  Put  before  {thee)  seven  small  loaves  of  bread 
of  roast'-' corn, ,  the  hoof  of  a  dark-coloured  ox 

Flour  of  roast  corn,  a  lump  of  leaven}  Thou  shall  repeat  this 
incantation  three  times and  pour  libation. 

Incatitation.      O  ye  dead  folk,   whose  cities  are  heaps  of  earth, 

whose  ....  are  sorrowful,  why  have  ye  appeared  unto  me  1 
I  imll  not  come  to  Kutha  !    Ye  ai-e  the  first-born  of  ghosts  ;  why 

do  ye  cast  yotir  enchantments  tipon  me  ? 
15.     O  Abatu,^  hinges  wife!    O  Allatu,  king's  wife!     O  Nin-kurun- 

anna,  scribe  of  the  gods,  whose  pen  is  of  lapis  and  samtu- 

stone  ! 

Prayer    for  the     dead         appearing 

Thou  shall  do  this  : — About  the  hour  of  sunset  thou  shall  put  a 
mixtureif)  of  the  flour  of  roast  corn  {a  fid)  the  lump  of  leaven 
i?tto  the  horn  of  another  ox, 

....  Thou  shall  beat  up  the  liquid  thereof ;  thou  shall  repeat 
this  iticafitatiofi  three  times  ;  the  liquid  thereof  into  a  hole 

....  thou  shall  pour ;  then,  bring  a  torch  {and)  censer  to  him. 

20.  \Incantation.  O  Sufi-god'\  that  ruleth  -what  is  above  and  below, 
that  releaseth  those  i?i  bondage, 

,  .  .  .  .  [t/ie  ghost]  that  hath  .  .  .  and  attacked  me,  I  am  over- 
whelmed with  fear, 

,  .  .  .  .  whether  it  be  an  evil  spirit,  or  an  evil  demon,  or  an  evil 
ghost, 

or  a  ghost  of  one  unburied,  or  the  ghost  of  a 

brother,  or  anything  evif' 

or  a  gho^t  07  one  that  lieth  {unburied)  in  the 

desert, 

5  On  KU.9E.SA. A  and  GAR.SE.SiS,  see  Meissner,  Ritjialtafeln. 
GAR.SE.SiS  is  there  translated  '"bitter"  meal,'  but  it  evidently  is  meant  in 
this  text  to  be  used  as  leaven,  the  words  suggesting  bread  that  has  gone  sour. 

*  Anatu? 

''  Or  perhaps  read  ahi  u  ahati  lim-nu  '■^  of  an  evil  brother  or  sister.'''' 

224 


Nov.  7]        ASSYRIAN  INCANTATION  AGAINST  GHOSTS.  [1906. 

25 [into  the  kindly  hands 'i'\  of  his  [god'\  commend  him  / 

\_Prayer    for  the     dead]         appearing 

of  lead  are  brought 

his  fear     lay  them 

go  forth 

30 7nay  they  go 

[May  the  evil  Spirit,  the  evil  Demon]  stand  aside  ! 

[Prayer    for  the     dead]         appearing 

[Incantation.]    Let  the  slaughterer{?)  cleanse  his  hands  ;  clearly  (?) 

shall  thou^   say  :~"  O  Sun-god,  the  evil  ghost  which  thou 

knowest 
I  know  not ;  let  it  not  approach  nor  draiv  nigh  nor  attack  {f) 

me  ;  do  tlioii  block  its  way  "  shall  thou  say. 
Place  the  leavened  dough  in  the  hoof  of  the  dark-coloured  ox,  and 

beat  up  tliickly(f)  with  a  reed^.     Pour  out  the  libation,  and 

the  dead  ivill  be  stayed. 

Incantation  :  O  Sun-god,  king  of  spirits 

(LI.  37-39  uncertain). 
40.     O  great  lord  Sun,  break  forth  upon  the  land  I  Invoke  the  gods  I 
Zagar  with  Mahir  .  .  ,  Allatu,  iVinazu  ! 
The  .  .  .  of  Nergal,  let  it  not  be  loosed,  but  let  it  be  bound  1 

Prayer  for  when  a  dead  man  appeareth  unto  a  living  man  for 
evil,  to  turn  him  back  that  he  appear  not. 

Thou  shall  do  this :  Spin  a  pusikku-Mr^a^  (?)  and  a  kanmeda- 
thread  (?)  together,  and  tie  seven  knots  in  it. 
45.   Thou  shall  mix  together  oil  of  cedar,  spittle^^  of  the  man,    the 
leavened  dough,  earth  from  an  old  grave,   a  tortoise' s^^  (^) 
mouth  (?),  a  thorn  (?), 

^  Or  perhaps  the  third  person  all  through  this  section. 

9  Elpitu,  cf.  Late  Hebrew  ^^STTf. 

^^ Ru^iitu.  The  characters  are  US.GU  "blood  {or  si?nilar)oi iht  mouth,"  but 
they  also  form  in  conjunction  the  character  *"^J3f'  ^•^•'  US  in  GU,  which  has 
the  value  rti'utu. 

^^  Pulukku  is  the  equivalent  of  Cancer  in  the  Assyrian  Zodiac  (see  Jensen, 
Kosniologie,  p.  311)  but  there  is  no  crab  represented  in  the  zodiacal  signs  on  the 
Babylonian  boundary  stones,  as  Jensen  (Kos?nologie,  p.  65)  points  out.  The 
equivalent  is  probably,  according  to  the  same  authority,  the  tortoise,  which  appears 
to  take  the  place  of  Cancer  in  these  representations,  but  the  translation  here 
seems  to  be  untrustworthy. 

225  T    2 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Earth  from  the  roots  of  the  caper^-,  earth  of  ants^'^ :  thou  shalt 

sprinkle  the  knots  with  this  where  thou  hast  tied  the?n.    Thou 

shalt  repeat  this  i?icafitation,  \{and)  bind  //]  on  the  temples^^ 

\of  the  man\ 
Thus  shalt  t/wu  tighten  it,  until  the  darkening  of  the  white  part  of 

the  face  and  the  whitening  of  the  dark-coloured  part  of  the 

face  takes  place. 
'  O  ghost  that  hath  appeared  unto  ?ne,  return  not  again,  and  in 

the  watch 

If  thou  knowest  its  name,   thou  ca?ist  bifid  it,  and  by  night  or 

every  day  (?) ' 


Col.  II. 


a  figure  (image)  of  the  dead  man 

Thou  shalt  lay  it  before  him:  a  figure  of  the  living  man 

Over  a  figure  of  the  livifig  mati  with  a  cup  of  [pure]  water  (?) 

thou  shalt  pour  a  libation  ;  on  the  figure  of  the  dead  man 

with  a  cup  of  \impure  (?)  water  (?)  thou  shalt  pour  a  libation] 
5.    {For)  the  figure  of  the  dead  man  thou  shalt  dig  a  grave  and  bury 

it;  .  .  . 
Thou  shalt  wash  the  figure  of  the  living  man  in  pure  water  {and) 

lay  it  out  before  the  sun,  the  god  of  the  sick  man  ;  his  body, 

\_his]  head  .  .  .  in  oil 

^-  On  haltu,  see  my  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits,  I,  p.  137.  It  is  possibly  the 
equivalent  of  the  Syriac    \  »~i ,  radix  capparis  spinosa:. 

^^  Zirbabu.  The  most  probable  rendering  is  "  ant."  It  is  the  name  of  a  small 
animal  or  insect,  with  a  synonym  laf/iattu.  "20  Landmeilen  Schlangen  und 
Skorpionen  (GIR.TAB)  Sa  ki-uia  zir-ba-bi  mah'i  tigarii  welche  gleich  z.  das  Feld 
erfiillten"  (Delitzsch,  Handworterbuch,  p.  264).     Latnattu  (=  latiiantu)  is  to  be 

compared  with   the  Hebrew  nT'?D- ,  the  Arabic  ,s_l,^> ,  by  metathesis   of  the 
/,  m,  «-letters,    sufficiently   frequent    in   the    Semitic    languages   {cf.   n^TDT'Slj 

K'^uLsaiK')   <lL<,^)'     Compare  also  the  use  of  "the  dust  of  an  ant's  hole" 

in  the  Hebrew  charm  No.  5  in  the  "  Folklore  of  Mossoul,"  P.S.B.A.,  March  14, 
1906. 

"  For  SACK  I  cf.  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits,  II,  81,  83. 

226 


Nov.  7]        ASSYRIAN  INCANTATION  AGAINST  GHOSTS.  [1906. 

Thou  shalf  ivash  all  over  ;  three  times  thou  shall  say  ''^  Light  .  . 
direct  to  his  house"^^ 

hicantation  :  O  Sun-god,  king  of  heaven  and  earth,  Judge  of  what 
is  above  and  below,  lord  of  the  dead,  ruler  of  the  living, 

O  Sun-god,  the  dead  who  have  arise?!  and  appeared,  whether  the 
ghost  of  my  father,  or  of  my  mother,  or  the  ghost  of  my 
brother 
10.     Or  of  7?iy  sister,  let  them  accept  this  and  leave  me  free  I 

Thou  shall  do  this :  in  the  morning  in  the  twilight  thou  shall 
sprinkle  the  knots  with  pure  water  ;  thou  shall  lay  a  censer 
{burning)  burasu  {-wood  or  gum)  before  the  Stin-god,  and 
make  plentiful  libatio?i 

Thou  shall  pour  as  libation  three  times  asses''  urine  in  the  hoof  of 
the  ox  [for  (?)]  the  ghost  that  hath  appeared  unto  the  man, 
and  the  dead  will  be  stayed. 

When  a  dead  man  appeareth  unto  a  living  mati  .  .  .  thou  shalf 
make  [a  figure\  of  clay,  and  tvrite  his  name  on  the  left  side 
with  a  stylus. 

Thou  shall  put  it  in  a  gazelle's  horn  and  its  face 

and  in  the  shade  of  a  caper-bush  or  in  the  shade  of  a  thorn- 
bush. 

15.     Thou  shall  dig  a   hole   and   thou  shall   bury  it, 

thou  shall  say. 

(Remainder  too  mutilated  for  publication. ) 
1^  The  sense  and  reading  of  this  are  obscure. 


227 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


A   BRONZE    FIGURE    FROM    RAKKA. 
By  H.  S.  CowPER,  F.S.A. 

This  little  bronze  figure  I  purchased  last  winter  from  Kyticas,  the 
Cairo  dealer,  who  told  me  it  came  from,  and  was  probably  found  at, 
Rakka  on  the  Euphrates. 

The  figure  stands  ^W  inches  high,  and  is  of  crude  design  and 
unusual  style.  The  head  bears  a  high  cap,  encircled  with  horns, 
indicating  Babylonian  influence,  although  the  figure  is  evidently  not 
Babylonian.  The  face  is  long,  the  nose  prominent  and  pointed ;  and 
the  eyes,  nostrils,  and  ear-holes  are  formed  by  circular  holes, 
apparently  bored,  the  eye-holes  being  in  one,  and  passing  behind  the 
nose.  The  cheeks  bulge  out,  the  artist's  intention  probably  being  to 
represent  high  cheek  bones,  while  the  mouth  is  a  mere  lipless  line. 
The  hair  falls  on  the  shoulders,  where  it  has  a  projecting  outward 
twist,  which  suggests  a  wig,  and  rather  resembles  the  treatment  of 
the  hair  in  the  stela  of  a  Hittite  king  from  Birejik  now  in  the 
British  Museum. 

The  rest  of  the  figure  is  even  ruder  than  the  face.  From  the 
neck  downwards  it  is  nearly  flat,  though  there  is  a  little  modelling 
about  the  neck  and  chest,  with  nothing  to  indicate  that  a  female  is 
represented.  The  arms  are  raised  from  the  elbow,  but  the  hands  are 
broken  off.  The  hips  are  represented  by  a  slight  lateral  projection 
and  a  transverse  groove  on  front  and  back,  and  from  here  downwards 
the  legs  are  undivided  and  shapeless.  The  feet,  however,  are 
indicated  separately. 

The  bronze  seems  to  represent  a  man  in  a  long  robe — perhaps 
a  priest  with  offerings.  When  I  bought  it  I  thought  it  a  barbarous 
figure,  shewing  influence  of  Babylonian  art,  but  Professor  Sayce  has 
called  my  attention  to  the  so-called  Hittite  Bronzes,  figured  by 
Perrot  and  Chipiez  and  others.  The  locality  it  comes  from  (Rakka 
is  150  Enghsh  miles  N.E.  of  Hamah,  and  100  miles  S.E.  of  Jerabis), 
the  peculiar  treatment  of  the  eyes,  the  prominent  features,  and  clean 
shaved  face,  combine  to  give  it  some  title  to  be  classed  among  those 
bronzes,  and  to  be  considered  a  remarkable  example. 

228 


Proc.  Soc.  Bill.  Arch.,  Nov.,  1 906. 


'  I  ii  I  iiMi^^ 


< 

w 

•^' 

K^ 

to 

< 

^ 

r 

,^   , 

CT 

<=; 

t^ 

0 

e^ 

fe 

0 

w 

u 

&i 

c/5 

D 

0 

K 

>— I 

0 

fin 

Id/} 

M 

3) 

N 

c 

?5 

"3 

0 

m 

k; 

m 

Nov.  7] 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


SOME    MUNICH    COPTIC    FRAGMENTS. 
11. 

By  E.  O.  Winstedt. 
{For  Part  I  see  page  137.) 

IGNATIUS. 

Copt.  2,  113  =  Copt.  3,  LXV.     The  handwriting  seems  the  same 
as  that  of  the  Dioscorus  MS. 


Recto. 
[TcrA]eiHT[oTn]eTeiy 
[^erAp]neeT[p6ii]ntoTii 
[iicAn6]TCOTn[AT(juneT]TcrAi 

HVa[|  lOTAe]  U 1 1 AAAT[co]Tn 

eTuiiTerceBHC  : 
ne3:AqiicriTpAiAiioc3:e2to 
ciJKeiiT6q:xic6  •  irreni 

2COOCI  IAC)3:eC10TLI  I  lOA 
nATTOKpATUjp  •  ATUHir* 

ereKATAnAoruAiiTCTr 
KAHTOC  •  nexAqiicTi 

iriIATIOC2CeAIIOKfpeOT6 

2HTqunAoruAuniioTT6 
eT3:cju  u  u  oc2ce  1 1 1 1  er^y  u) 


Verso. 
e2CHije[q^Aiy  •     nexAq] 
iicriiriiA[Tio]c3:e2[iceiJiu] 
eT[iiA^j]a)neuu[oiOTB6] 
[eouo]AoriAe20T[nen3Cc] 

IC  •  C6C(JUOV?IIA[ie2]OTIJM 
2GIIB6KHTeeTO[T]AAB  •   M 

eicerApimeioToei^Te 
iJOTceiin^AAiiiineo 
oTeTiJAcrajAnepoiiiiee 
GTCH?  :         ne^^Aqiicri 
TpAiAiioc3i:enpcjuue  •  'Ico 

epOKAOinOHUAVAAKIir 

6ipeiJiieTOToreecA?isie 
iiuooviiAK  •  e^coneu 


1.  2  ;-.,   the   II  of  nUJTII  can  hardly  be  the  beginning  of  IIGA,  and  seems 
to  be  a  slip  of  the  copyist.     1  4  ''. ,  I  am  not  sure  if  there  is  room  for  OTAG. 

229 


Nov.  7] 

Recto — conlimied. 

iHHiAKiicrieeiiKeiiovTe 
Ti  11  AAA  I  •  A'rcD2:eneTii[A] 
o  vco^ri  leei  J 1 10  VT[eKi] 
jyiiiio  •  ceiiAeoT[q] 

ll'|-|IACCt)TUA[llll(".ATGVr] 

KAHr()(;nTinp[po(3qovH2] 

CA2IIOIIAICmApAlj[oUOC] 

[niio]uocrApuniio[TT6] 
[xt(j]uiioG  •  3:eiiii[GKa:i2o] 

[llJoVAVIIAGTHC   •  [aVCOOIJ] 
[ll]lieKCUIITOO[TKUIl] 
[OTU]HHiy6e3:ilOTK[AKIA] 
[nG^"]A(|llO'ITpAl[AIIOG] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


Verso — continued. 

uoii  •  l-iiAxpujiJAKiiee^ 

[K]eBAGAI10[G]GVe00T6IIAI . 

[nexJAqiicriiriiATiocxemu] 
[neTiiAjiiopxiieTArAnH 

[iII1II()V]tG  •  OVOAI'hlGTG 
[HOVAaiXe]  •   HOT^KOHOVC^^ 

[atii]og  •  HovGHc|)6  •     tnei 

[06IAe]0IJ3C60TAeUll[ajlJ2] 
[OTAeu]llLIOVIIA^TG[u 

Tg]|  ITU  I  ITGVG6[bHG] 

[6iTA3:pH]ve2i:iiTcrouu[nxc] 

nGa:AqiicriT[pAiAiioG] 
e3:62ij 


The  last  line  of  verso  I  give  from  I)es  Rivieres'  copy,  in  which 
all  the  letters  are  marked  as  uncertain.  The  traces  of  the  tops  of 
letters  which  are  still  visible  seem  from  my  copy  to  fit  just  as  well 
with    KUGGV,   which   would    agree   with   the   Bohairic   version   xe 

GKUGVI   GCrpO  GpOI. 

1.  21  v.,  riApAllOLlOG,  Des  Rivieres  probably  from  conjecture  as  it  should 
be  the  verb. 


230 


Nov.  7] 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


Copt.  2,  No.  89  =  Copt.  3,  No.  LXVI  • 

Recto. 
[HK6]pATq  •  iiTo[qnoeiK] 

[MTUJMTATUOTne  •  ATCO 

[oTc]d)neunujiie^A6iie2  • 

[AV]u)AIIOKAIJrntL)qTHpT 

[AT]cjUAinp:fjnAiiee'reTH 
[pqeB]oAiniA2pAq  •  gtbg 

[nAI+]KATAct)pOlieillll6K 
[BACAIIl]CTHpiOII  •  ATtO■^ 

[TecToeB]oAiiiieKTAeio 


Verso. 

[eillieKUTCTH] 

pioii  .  3ceKAceinA[jytone] 

WOTOeiKeqTBBHV[  •  IIAl] 

AenT6peqcujTU6p[oq] 

HCFITpAIAIIOC  •  Aqp[^nH] 

peeuATe  •  Aru)ne3:[A(|3L6] 
OTiioorTeeTno[uoiJHii] 
iieTnicTe'reon[\c  •  iiiii] 

2rilieeAAHIIHe[llBApBApOc] 


LXV  {cf.  Lightfoot,  Ap.  Path.,  II,  2,876  foil.)— "  '(they  are)  con- 
demned. For  we  ought  to  pursue  (?)  what  is  good,  (and)  not  what 
is  damnable.  Nothing  is  better  than  godUness.  Lacerate  his  back, 
saying  to  him,  obey  the  emperor  and  sacrifice  according  to  the 
decree  of  the  senate.'  Ignatius  said  :  '  I  fear  the  decree  of  God 
which  saith,  "thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  but  me,"  and  "he 
that  worshippeth  strange  gods  shall  be  put  to  death."  I  will  not 
obey  the  senate  and  the  king  when  he  bids  me  transgress  :  for  the 
law  of  God  saith,  "thou  shalt  not  accept  the  person  of  a  ruler,"  and 
(again)  "  thou  shalt  not  consort  with  numbers  for  evil."  Trajan 
said  :  '  (Pour  vinegar  mixed  with  salt) 

{Verso)  upon  his  (wounds).'  Ignatius  said  :  '  (All  the)  sufferings 
(which  shall)  happen  to  me  (for)  the  confession  of  Jesus  (Christ) 
gather  for  me  holy  rewards :  "  for  the  sufferings  of  the  present 
season  are  not  worthy  of  the  honour  which  shall  be  revealed  to  us  " 


Recto,  1.  I,  HK6,  Des  Rivieres  probably  wrongly  ;  the  letters  are  now  lost. 
OTO?  ei^HA,  Boh.  1.  5,  lieeTe=  U66Ve,  probably  a  mistake  in  my  copy. 
1.  8,  LIVCTHpiOII,  Des  Rivieres. 

Verso,  1.  I,  I  could  not  read  the  slight  traces  of  letters  that  remain,  and 
so  give  Des  Rivieres'  reading  though  it  cannot  be  right;  2IT6lllieillJAX?l 
MUAIOHpiOIJ,  Boh.     1.  4,  Gpoq,  Des  R.  ;  probably  epOOV. 

231 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

even  as  it  is  written.'  Trajan  said:  'Spare  thyself,  fellow,  hence- 
forth, and  do  that  which  is  bidden  thee ;  if  not,  I  will  employ 
worse  tortures  than  these.'  Ignatius  said  :  'Who  (shall)  separate  us 
from  the  love  of  God  ?  Shall  tribulation,  (or  distress,)  or  famine,  or 
peril,  or  the  sword  ?  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  (life)  nor  death 
shall  be  able  to  (part  me)  from  godliness,  (being)  confident  in  the 
power  of  Christ.'     Trajan  said:  '.  .  . 

LXVI. — '  I  go  my  way  to  him  :  he  is  the  bread  of  immortality 
and  the  draught  of  eternal  life.  And  I  am  wholly  his,  and  I  yearn 
for  him  in  my  mind.  Therefore  I  despise  thy  tortures  (?),  and  I 
reject  thy  honours. 

( Verso)  thy  beasts  (?)  that  I  may  become  pure  bread.'  But 
Trajan,  when  he  heard  these  things,  was  greatly  astonished,  and 
said  :  '  Great  is  the  endurance  of  those  who  believe  on  (Christ. 
What)  Greek  or '" 


PETER   AND   PAUL. 


These  fragments  appear  to  be  from  a  different  MS.  to  the 
Dioscorus  fragments,  Des  Rivieres  copies  the  four  columns  of 
CL  and  again  of  CLII  abreast ;  and  this,  coupled  with  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  columns,  makes  it  probable  that  each  page  had  two 
columns,  not  one,  as  the  Dioscorus  fragments.  If  so,  CLI  was  only 
a  fragment  of  a  page.  The  fourth  column  of  CLII  corresponds 
clearly  enough  with  the  Greek  Martyrium  Petri  et  Pauli,  §  50 
{Lipsius  Acta  Apostolorum  Apocrypha,  Vol.  I,  p.  162),  and  the 
preceding  three  columns  to  §§47-49,  though  not  so  exactly.  CL 
refers  to  an  attempt  to  bribe  Nero  and  the  baptism  of  one  Dionysius, 
neither  of  which  events  are  recorded  in  the  Greek  martyrium. 
Whether  CL  belongs  to  the  same  text  at  all  it  is  difficult  to  say,  as 
it  is  so  mutilated  as  to  defy  translation.  It  appears  to  be  dealing 
with  a  sinner  and  a  gate,  neither  of  which  can  I  find  mentioned 
in  the  Greek  version.  However,  as  the  Coptic  version  seems  not 
to  correspond  exactly  with  the  Greek,  and  Des  Rivieres  states  that 
this  fragment  is  in  the  same  handwriting,  it  is  better  to  add  it. 
Nothing  similar  occurs  in  the  fragments  published  by  Von  Lemm, 
Guidi,  and  Jacoby. 

2-J2 


Nov.  7] 

Copt.  3,  CLII  :— 
Col.  I. 
01  . 

....  oiiAee 

epennoTTG 

IKVpOTIl  .  .  . 
UUAIT  ...    II 

neiJTA  .  .  CAT 

iicriHHpojii 
xeunp:^i 

croA  •  ecUBIIILI 
eOOOTIIOTK 

iJ6  •  3i:e2iioT 
TexNHrAp 

eC200T6K 

eipeiJHAi 

ATOJeAKAA 

pAt.euriAAo 
ncuoceiTii 

2A2lieiOB  • 

2UJCTeeTU 
TpAepAniG 

TOCeHGK 

2BHTG  •  ne 

XAqilO  IHGT 

pocxcnppo 

....    BUT  .  . 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


Col.  II. 

GO 


T 

CA 

WG 

OG 

KJH 

2 

P 

G 

NO 

O 

UJI 

nu  •  [ncto] 
THp[icnvc] 
iiii[nnMA] 

GTOVAAB 

HG^iAqiiAq 
nAVAoc:XG 

AIIOK2a3+ 

eoiioAorGi 

IIMUAqH 

MAI  •  a^GUli 

OT2CAI^OOn 

eilCTOAAATGI 

AOJ  .  .  .   HG  .  . 

11 

HG 


Col.  I,  1.  7,  U)  or  01,  Des  R.     II.  16-17,  undoubtedly  GAKHGipAr^G. 
Col.  II,  1.  I,  CO  or  CG,  Des  R.     1.  4,  NG  or  IIO,  Des  R.     1.  6,  IIH  or  Nil, 
Des  R.     11.  24-5,  ATtO  GIACOAOH  (?). 

233 


Nov.  7]               SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL 
Copt.  3,  CLII  :  — 
Col.  I. 
nccu 

[THpilll]pCOU6 
[THpOV  •  ]  •  CI 

ucoiiAenc 

XAqxeAiioK 

[nn  •  iithJtiico 

[oviinjiioi 

[neTpooJuii 

[nAVAOcnHJii 

[TAqilTJOTII 

[enierjiiie 

[poq]iiA^to 

ne[Aii]iiHTii 

nexAqiim 

neTpocxe 

TOIIOVAC) 

jyajneiiAi 
Hcrinei-eni 
OTiieinpo(|  • 

nAV.VOCA'CA 

iJOK2coiiel" 
npocTOKei 

[(ip()(j]AIAITq 

[ne3CAq]iitri 

[OllltOllJAt; 

Col.  II,  I.  4-5.  The  sense  requires  62pAI 
mark  any  lost  letters  here. 

234 


ARCHEOLOGY. 


[1906. 


Col.  II. 

TIIIJOOTT 

er.o.veiiTn 

pA  .  .  .  TH-I'IJA 
B«)KeepAI 

netJAepij 

llAeitOT  . 
IIHpCOIIAe 

noAAqxG 
iiAj-^jiieeoTM 

(TOIIRTpe 

iiAi^jcone  . 

neyAqiicri 

ciucoiinuA 

roc2ceK6 

AGTeeTpev 

TAUIOIJOT 

nrprocu 

jyeeiiRKAu 

nociiiiAp 

TIOC  •  ATUI 
•hllAA.\(3fi? 

pAieA'ctxjii 

C6AITIICri 

UAArreAoc 


eepAi 


ti'riK;,  though  I)es  R.  does  not 


Nov.  7] 


SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS. 


[1906. 


Copt.  3,  CLI  :— 
Col.  I. 

.  .  A 

enee .  .  e  •  hu 
6Tepeiiii 

pOJIIIIKAAei 
HAT6TBH 

H-fqeAne 

XC  •  ATtO 
?UnTp6T 
+1121 1 A 
^yHKIXPH 
UAHN6TU 

nKdJTeiT 

MHpOJIinp 
pO  •  AC|KA 
ATeBOAII 

Col.  I,  1.  3,  Des  R.  gives  an  alternative  niG 


Col.  II. 

2AA 

T6U  .  .  .   HAT 

AocenA 

pAKAAGM 

iioqeTpeci 
BAnTij;e 
uuoqiiq 
AAqiJX 

piCTI  Alloc 

ATCUHTepe 

nATAOGBAH 

Tlt.eMAIO 

KITCIOCllq 

.  .  .  n^corq 


2AltO. 


Copt.  3,  CL  : — 
Col.  I. 

KIUUAHU 
T  .  .   IIUAG 

. . .  e . . .  ^yto 
neeujtoq 
orpeqpiio 
?ene 

^AlJnU326T 


Col.  II. 

All 

ecu 

AT2 

CUK 

ernAp  .  . 

UHT6 . . . 
3COIITA  .  . 


Col.  I,  1.  4,  ecu  or  2U,  Des  R.     11.  5-6,  doubtless  peqpHOBG. 
235 


Nov.  7] 


SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY. 


[1906. 


Col.   I — continued. 

^opneunv 

AHjyApe 

nec'I'O'to 

coijiieq 

iioBeTAeeiie 

TOVAAIi  •  ijce 
e 


Col.  II — continued. 
XOUTA . . . 
AMOK    .... 

AVe 

()U) 

II 

eq 


Col.  I,  1.  10,  Des  R.  gives  as  variants  for  C  and  iT,  O  and  6. 


Col.  hi. 


.   OK 

pn 

.  A 
.   IITA 

.  nec 

.  IITO 
.   .   HA 

.  .  -hu 

.   .   Kll 
.  AAT 

coojq 

.   IIKA 
.   liOT 

11  q 
.  e»i 


Col.  IV. 

UN 

NOT 

eneii  .  .  AK  . 

IJIUII  .  .   OOT 

iJT  .  .  ee?  .  . 

2CCiJUJKAe  .  .  . 
UApAVHp  .  . 
AIKAIOOVIIH 
BCJUKeeOTII 

Ten  ore  AT  I J 

n  .  .  AH  ,   .  T 
CTHTII  .  .   GA 

nojq 

UT 

.  .  u 


Col.  Ill,  1.  3,  A  or  H,  Des.  R.     1.  12,  II  or  U,  Des  R. 
Col.  IV,  1.  II,  n  or  T,  Des  R.  ;  probably  HTAH 
236 


Nov.  7]  SOME  MUNICH  COPTIC  FRAGMENTS.  [1906. 

CLII. — " Nero  said  :   '  Do  not  lie.     Everything  that 

is  evil  is  thine.  By  evil  art  you  do  these  things,  and  you  tempt 
my  judgment  through  many  things,  that  I  may  not    disbelieve   in 

your  works.'     Peter  said  :  '  King the  Saviour  (Jesus 

Christ  ?)  and  the  Holy  (Spirit  ?).'  Paul  said  to  him  :  '  I.  too,  agree 
with  him  in  this,  that  there  is  no  salvation  in  lies 

"  .  .  the  Saviour  of  (?)  (all?)  men.  But  Simon  said  :  '  I  (am  he?). 
Ye  know  (?)  me,  (Peter)  and  (Paul.  That  which  ?)  ye  desire  does 
not  happen  to  you.'  Said  Peter  :  '  Now  what  I  desire  has  happened 
to  me.'  Paul  said:  'I,  too,  have  done  (?)  that  which  I  expect.' 
Said  Simon  :  '  Take  me  away  from  the  .  .  and  I  will  go  up  to  heaven 
to  my  father.'  Nero  said  :  '  How  is  it  possible  for  these  things  to 
happen?'  Said  Simon  Magus  :  'Bid  them  build  a  wooden  tower  in 
the  Campus  Martins ;  and  I  will  ascend  into  it,  and  my  angels  will 
take  me  up  .  .  .  .'" 

CLI. — " ....  that  with  which  Nero  charges  them  for  (?)  Christ. 
And  when  much  money  had  been  given  to  those  round  Nero,  he  let 
them  go 

" .  .  Paul  to  exhort  him  to  baptize  him  and  make  him  a  Christian. 
And  when  Paul  baptized  Dionysius " 


237 


Nov.  7]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


The  next  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on 
Wednesday,  December  12th,  1906,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  : — 

The  Rev.  C.  J.  Ball,  J/.^.—"  Assyrian  Notes." 


238 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF 


THE     SOCIETY 


OF 


BIBLICAL     ARCHAEOLOGY. 


THIRTY-SIXTH    SESSION,    1906. 


Seventh  MeettJig,  December  12th,  1906. 
Sir  H.  H.  HQWORTH,  K.C.LE., 


IN     THE     CHAIR. 


[No.  ccxiv.]  239  IT 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Library  were  announced,  and 
thanks  ordered  to  be  returned  to  the  Donors  : — 

From  the  Author,   Prof.  E.  Naville. — "La  Religion  des  Anciens 
Egyptiens." 

From    the    Author,     Prof.    Dr.    A.    Wiedemann.  —  "Agyptische 
Religion." 


Mr.  E.  J.  Williams,  Fort  North,  Texas, 
Mr.  G.  Haller,   iS,  Park  Village  West, 

were  elected  Members  of  the  Society. 


The  following  Paper  was  read  : — 

Rev.  C.  J.  Ball,  M.A.:    "Assyrian  Notes." 
Thanks  were  returned  for  this  communication. 


240 


Dec.  12]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 


THE     CHEDOR-LAOMER     TABLETS. 
By  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  D.D. 


( Continued  from  p.  200.) 

Translation  of  the  texts — contuiued. 

A.  Sp.  158  +  Sp.  n.  962. 
Reverse. 


1.  I-nu-um         ra-bi-tsu         su-lum  i-dib-[bu-ub        ana  D.P.  nakra] 

When         the  Accuser  luelcomed  [the  enemy^ 

2.  yur-rid  se-du-us-su        sa  e-sar-ra  [bit  kissat 
there  departed  the  guardian-bull  of  E-sarra\the  temple  of  the  host 

ilani 
of  the  gods\ 

3.  D.P.  nakru       D.P.  Elam-u       yur-ri-ikh         lim-ni-e-tum 
the  enemy,         the  Elamite,       hurried  on  mischief 

4.  u         Bel  ana  e-ki^  yu-sak-pi-du  li-mun-tum 
and      Bel       against    Babylon            planned  evil. 

5.  I-nu-um  la  sa-ma  mi-sa-ri  iz-ziz-zu-ma 

When  there  tvas  no         righteousness,  there  came 

a-khi-tum 
the  foreign  foeman  ; 

'  We  may  perhaps  infer  from  Cuneiform  Texts,  XII,  47,  24,  that  E-ici  was 
pronounced  agit. 

241  U    2 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

6.  sa     e-sar-ra  bit  kis-sat  ilani  yur-rid 

of   E-sarra,    the  temple    of  the  host    of  the  gods ^     there  departed 

se-du-us-su 
the  guardian-bull ; 

7.  D.P.  nakru         D.P.  Elam-u         il-te-ki         bu-su-su 
the  e?ie??iy,  the  Elamite,  seized         its  goods : 

8.  Bel  a-sib  e-li-su  ir-ta-si  [ki-]mil-ti 
Bel         who  sat  enthroned       up07i  it            had            displeasure. 

9.  I-iiu-um       sa-bu-ru-u        is-ta-nu  lim-nani-su-nu 

When         the  mages       repeated       their  eiichafitments, 

10.  D.P.  Gul-lum    u    im-khul-lum    yu-pa-as-si-dhi  (?)  [lim  ?]-ni-su-un 

Gullu         a7id  the  evil  zvind        {worked?)  their  evil (f)  ; 

11.  yur-ri-du-ma        ilani-su-nu        yu-ri-du-ma         na-qab-bi-is 
there  departed      their  gods,       they  departed      like  a  torrent ; 

12.  me-khi-e  saru  lim-nu  il-nia-a       sa-ma-mi-is 
tlie  stor?H,       even  the  evil  wind,       encircled      the  heavens ; 

13.  D.P.  A-niim      pa-ti-iq-su-nu      ir-ta-si        ki-mil-tum 

Ami  their  creator         had        displeasure; 

14.  yun-ni-is         zi-mi-su-nu  yu-na-a-ma  man-za-as-su 
he  made  pale       their  faces,       he  made  desolate        his  abode, 

15.  [sa]  ni-ib-khi  e-an-na  yu-sakh-khi      utsurta-su 
\of\       the  sanctua7-y      of  E-anna      lie  destroyed       the  walls, 

16.  [sa  is-da-]a  e-sar-ra  i-nu-us  ki-gal-la 
[of  the  foundation's      op  E-sarra      he  shook      the  platform. 

17.  [I-nu-um      Bel]        iz-kur       sakh-lu-uq-tum 

\_]Vhen       Bel].      decreed  de'^t  ruction 

18.  [u  abu  sa  ilani]         ir-ta-si       ki-mil-tum 
\a.7id      the  father  of      the  gods]        had        displeasure, 

ig.      ikh-pu-un  mat  Beli        [D.P.  umman]  Man-da     kharran 

there  ravaged    the  land  of  Bel    the  Manda-^hordes]      on  the  road 

Su-me-ri-is 
to  Sumer. 

242 


Dec.  12] 


THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS. 


[1906. 


20.  a-u         D.P.  Ku-dur-lakhkha-mar   [e-]pis  lim-ni-e-tum 
Who  {is)            Chedor-laomer           who  has  wrought  the  mischief! 

21.  id-kam-ma  D.P.  umman  Ma-an-[da       ikh-pu-]un 
He  has  gathered  together  the  hordes  of  the  Man[da  ;  he  has  ravag\ed 

mat  Bel 

the  laJid      of  Bel ; 

22.  yu-na-am-ma-am-ma      X 

he  has  laid  in  ruin       10 

a-khi-su-nu 
their  side. 


[alani  is-kun  pa-jna  ina 

\cities ;       he  has  taken  the\  lead      at 


23.  I-nu-um      sa      e-zi-da  [iz-ziz-zu  sakh-lu-uq-]ta-su 

When        of     E-zida       \was  determined      the  destruction, 

24.  u     D.P.  Nabu     pa-qid  kis-sat      yur-ri-[id  ana  ma-khar-]su 
and       Nebo,       the  marshal  of  armies,  depart\ed    to     nieet^him, 

25.  sap-lis  ana  Ti-amti-Ki  is-ku-[un  pa-ni-su] 
doivn       towards      the  Coastland      he  {NeboY  set      [hisface.^ 

26.  ana    I-bi-D.P.  Tu-tu     sa  ki-rib       Ti-amti  ikh-mudh 
To            Ibi-Tiitic         who  {was)     in      the  Coastland  he  hastened 

D.P.  Utu-sutu 
southward  ; 


27. 


i-bir-ma 
he  passed  through 


Ti-amti-Ki 
the  Coastland, 


la-su-bat-su 
a  seat  which  zvas  not  his, 

sa        e-zi-da  bit  ki-nim 

{while)  of      E-zida,        his  own  true  temple, 

sak-ki-e-su 

its  shrine. 


ir-ma-a 
he  set  up  {there) 


su-khur-ru-ur 
was  broken  down 


^  Or  perhaps,  Chedor-laomer.  In  this  case  in  1.  26  we  should  translate 
"against  Ibi-Tutu,"  and  in  1.  28  kinivi  will  be  merely  the  standing  epithet  "the 
well-built "  temple.     But  the  next  paragraph  is  against  this  interpretation. 

243 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

29.  [D.P.  nakru  D.P.]  Elam-u  yu-se-sir        tsi-in-di-su, 
\_The  enemj',]        even  the  Elamite,       set  foricard      his  steeds, 

30.  sap-lis         ana  Bad-si-a-ab-ba        is-ku-nu        pa-ni-su 

dow7i      towards  Borsippa  he  had  set      his  face, 

31.  yur-ri-[da-am-]ma  kharran  da-um-mat-tu  kharran 

he  marched  by  the  road  of  the  western  sunset,     the  7-oad 

me-es-ki-is 
to  Mas; 

32.  D.P.  tsi-e-nu  D.P.  Elamu         yu-nab-bil  e-ma-akh-su 
the  ivicked  one,         the  Elamite,           destroyed  its  palace ; 

33.  D.P.  rubuti  [sa  Akkadi  u  Su-me-]ri  i-na-ri  ina  kak-ki 

the  princes  [of  Akkad  and  Snine^r     he  suhdiied  iviih  the  sword ; 

34.  sa  e-kurati  ka-la-su-nu  [is-]lul  sal-lat-su-un 
of  the  temples,         all  of  them,       Jie  carried  away         the  spoil, 

35.  [bu-]su-su-nu        [il-]qi-e-ma        yu-tab-ba-la       E-Iam-mat 

their  goods         he[to'\ok  and  conveyed  to  Elam ; 

36 mal-ku  i-bu-ut  mal-ki-su 

(//6')  a  prince        destroyed       its  princes  ; 

37.       [qab-la  u  ta-kha-za?]         im-lu-u-ma         ma-a-tum 
\with  war  and  battle  f\     lie  filled  also         the  la?id. 


B.  Sp.  II.  987. 

I.  [     ?     Babylo7i,  the  city  of  Merodach,  was  troubled  f\ 

2 D.P.  Marduk  sar]        ilani  [i- gu-ug  ?] 

[Merodach  king]    of  the  gods      [was  wroth  ?]. 

3.  [rabu  u  tsikhru]         ina  ali      ikh-ta-at     ur-ra  [u  musi] 
[Old  and yo2ing\     in  the  city    feared      day  [atid  night\ 

4.  [bit  UT-JuNU-Ki  mar-ka.s  sam-e  sa  ana 
[The  temple  of  L\arsa,       the  lumd  of  heaven  7vhich  {looks)  to 

ir-bit        SA-ru  ik-[su-du] 

the  four     winds,     they  captured. 
244 


Dec.  12] 
5- 


THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS. 


[1906. 


[i]-sim-su-nu-tum 
He  {Merodach)  assigned  to  them  (^t he  foe) 


sar-tam 
the  judgment-hall  {J) 


sa  ina  din-tir-ki         al         ta-na-[at-ti-su] 

which  (is)     in  Babylon^       the  city  of  [liis^  majesty, 

6.  i-sim-su-nu-tum  nam-kur       su-ut      e-ki       tsa-khar       u 
he  assigned  to  tliem     the  possessions      of    Babylon      small      and 

ra-[ba.       ab-bi-um] 
great.       \The  elders'\ 

7.  ina        inil-ki-su-nu  ki-nim 
ill  their  trusty  counsel 


ana        D.P.  Ku-dur-lakhkha-mar 
to  Cludor-laomer 


sar  mat  E-la-[mat] 

king     of  the  laud     of  Elani 

8.  yu-kan-nu-u    rid-di     ga-na         sa  eli-su-nu  dha-a-bi 

gave  trusty     advice.       So     that  which      taito  them      seeined  good 

[e-pus-ma] 
\Jie  performed,  and\ 


9.  ina  E-Ki 

in        Babylon, 


al        Kar-D.P.  Dun-ya-as,        sarru-tam 
the  city        of  Kar-Diiniyas,       the  sovereignty 


ip-pu-us        [eli-su-nu] 
he  assumed     \over  theni\  ; 

10.  ina    DIN-TIR-KI  ■'         al  sar  ilani      D.P.  Marduk 

i7i       Babylon,       the  city       of  the  ki?ig  of  the  gods,     Merodach, 

id-du-u     gis-[gu-za-su] 
he  set        \_his  throne^ 

1 1 .  su-kul-lum      u         kalbi  bit-khab-ba-a-tam      i-ma-ag-ga-[ru] 

The  herd     and     the  dogs      the  desecrated  temple         frequent 

[u      ina-su] 
\and      in  //] 


■'  The  Semitic  rendering  of  the  name,  subat  baladhi  "  seat  of  life,"  implies 
that  it  was  pronounced  Tir-din.  The  name  of  the  later  Teredon  may  have  been 
taken  from  it,  unless  this  is  Iddaratu  as  Professor  Hommel  suggests. 

245 


Dkc.  12]  SOCIETV  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH/EOLOGY.  [1906. 

13.  ikh-tar-ku  ki-i-nu  a-ri-bi      mut-lab-ri-su    i-ra-mu 

they  grifid  the  teeth  perpetually.      The  raven      winged  builds 

[qin-na-su  ina-su] 
\liis  ?iest  therein\  ; 

13.  i-naq-qar  a-ri-bi  tsir-khu  tab-bi-ik         rnar-tum 
croaketh        the  raven.,        shrieking  {atid)  pouring  out       gall ; 

[ina  kir-bi-su] 
\jvithin  //] 

14.  kalbu  ka-si-is  ner-pad-da       i-ma-ag-ga-ar       D.P.  nin- 
the  dog      who  crunches       the  bone  loveth  the  Lady 

[digga-na  ina-su] 
[of  Death  ;    in  it] 

15.  i-naq-qar    tsir-khussu    D.P.  khab-ba-a-tum       ta-bi-ik       [im-tanij 

hisses        the  snake,  the  evil  one,       who  pours  out  [poison]. 

16.  a-u  sar  mat  E-la-mat        sa  Gis  nun-nu 
Who  (is)  the  king          of  E lam           who           the  carved  work  (^) 

e-Sag-gil  yu-[sakh-khi] 

of  E-Saggil       has  [destroyed], 

17.  [sa]  D.P,  mare  e-ki  is-ku-nu-ma         sip-ru-su-nu 
[jLvhich]             the  sons  of  Babylon  made,     and    their  work 

i-[dhib-bi  (?)] 
[was  good  (?)]  ? 

18.  [an-na]-a-tum     sa  tas-dhu-ru,         um-ma     ana-ku        sarru 

This  (is)       -what    thou  hast  written     that :     '  /  (ani)     a  king, 

mar  sarri  .... 

the  son       of  a  king  .   .   .  . ' 

19.  [a-]u  mar  marat  sarri  sa     ina    gis-gu-za 
Who  {is)  the  son    of  the  daughter    of  a  king    who    on    the  throne 

sarru-tam        yu-si-bu  .  .  . 
of  kingship       will  sit  .  .  .  ? 
246 


Dec.  12]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 

20.  [su-u     D.P.]  Dhur-makh-AN-ME       mar         sa       D.P.  Eri-e-ku-a 
\^He  is]  Sar-ildni  the  son        of  Eri-Aku 

sa  sal-lat  Bar-[sip  is-lu-ul] 

who       the  spoil  of  Bor\_sippa       has  carried  away^ 

21.  [ina]    D.P.  ku.ssi        sarru-tam         yu-si-ib-ma         ina       ma-khar 

\ori\    tJie  throne        of  kingship        lie  has  sat  and  in  front 

di-i-ku-[su  il-lik] 
of\^liis~\  warriors  \_/ias  niarched\ 

22.  [i-]nu  sarru  lil-lik         sa         ultu     yu-nm      da-ru-u-tu 
Now      let  the  king      march      ivho      from      days       everlasting 

kun-[nu  ana  sarru-tam] 

has  been  dest\ined  for  sove?'eignty\ 

23.  [sa]  in-nam-bi  bil  e-ki  ul  i-kan-nu 
Iwho]  has  been  proclaimed     lord     of  Babylon  :     shall  not  endure 

ip-se-[it  D.P.  nakri] 
the  ivork  [of  the  enemy], 

24.  [ina]       arakh  Kisilimi        u       arakh  su-kul-na       ina       e-ki 
[In]     the  months  Kisleu   and  Tammuz  in     Babylon 

in-ni-ip-pu-[us  .  .  .  ] 
were  performed  [the  ceremonies]  : 

25.  [ip-]se-e  abil  kali  sa-pi-in-nu  mata 
witchcraft        the  son        of  the  mage        ivho  destroys        the  land, 

kala-[sa  ip-pu-us] 

even  the  zvhole  [of  it,       practised]; 

26.  [uio  ab-]bi-um  ina  mil-ki-su-nu  ki-nu-um  [ana 
[and          the]  elders           in              their  trusty  counsel  [to 

Ku-dur-lakkha-mar  (?)      rid-di] 
Chedor-laomer  (?)  advice] 

27.  [yu-kan]-nu         abil  kali  ku-um  a-bu-su 

[give] :  the  son      of  the  mage      in  the  place      of  his  father 

[kun-nu-u  ?] 
[ivas  appointed  ?]  .• 

1"  Or  perhaps  D.P. 
247 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCIL-EOLOGY.  [1906. 

28.  [D.P.  AKH-]siB-MES        I         amta  yu-se-its-bi-[tu] 

\tJie  iuio\iniers  one        maid        caused  to  be  taken 


C.   Sp.  Ill,  2. 
Obverse. 


1 ip-se-tu-su  la  .  .  . 

Ids  work       does  not  \contimie  (?)] 

2 tsu       Kha-am-mu-[ra-bi  (?)] 

Khammu\rabi  (?)] 

3 ilani  nab-nit  [a-bi-su  (?)] 

of  the  gods,     the  creation     \of  his  father  (?)] 

4 yu-mu  ina     [tsi-it]       D.P.  Samsi     mu-nam-mir 

during  the  day    at   the  rising     of  the  sun     wJio  illtimines 

ad-[na-a-ti] 
nian\]dnd\ 

5 .     bil  bile  D.P.  Marduk     ina  kun-nu 

tJie  lord     of  lords.         Merodach,        in      the  faithfulness 

lib-bi-su 
of  his  heart 

6 rna-ai-ku         la  za-nin 

the  prince      7c<ho      nourishes  7iot 

7.  [e.s-re-e-ta-su]    D.P.  v\       yu-sam-kit        D.P.  Dhur-makh-AN-ME 
yhis  sanctua?y'\     A'eho     causes  to  he  slain.  Sar-ilani 

ablu       sa      D.P.  Eri-D.P.  E-a-ku 
son       of  Eri-Aku 

8.  [Bar-si-ip      dan-]na-a-tam       is-lul  me  eli  e-ki 
\Borsippa,     the  strongfiold    spoiled,     the  waters     over     Babylon 


u  e-sag-gil 

248 


and      E-Saggil 


Dec.  12] 


THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS. 


[1906. 


9.     [yus-te-bil      D.P.  Dhur-makh-AN-ME    marisu     ina  kakki 

[//e  let  flotv.  As  for  Sar-ilani\  his  sou    ivith    the  weapoji 

qata-su         kima      as-lu         yu-la-bi-ikh-su 
of  his  hands      like      a  lamb     slaughtered  him, 


10.   [ina  eli-sa  (?)]        ana 

isati 

ik-bu(?)-si       D.P.  seba         u 

y>ecaiise  ihat'\          to 

the  fire 

he  cast  (?)           the  old          and 

mara          ina 

kakki 

young ;        with 

the  sivord 

II.       [D.P.  mare  E-Kt 

ra]b 

u            tsikhra            ik-ki-is 

\the  sons  of  Babylon, 

gi^fat 

and          small,          he  cut  off' 

D.P.  Tu-ud-khul- 

■a        mar 

D.P.  Gazza  .  .  . 

Tid'al 

the  S071 

of  Gazza  .   .  . 

13- 


14. 


[Sip-par  (?)      dan-na-]a-tam       is-lul  me  eli         e-ki 

\Sippara  (?)^^  tlie  stronghold    spoiled,  the  ivaters    over   Babylon 


u 
and 


[yus-te-bil 
\1ie  let  floiv. 


e-sag-gil 
E-Saggil 

D.P.  Tu-ud-khul-a]      mari-su       ina  kakki 

As  for  Tid^al'\  his  son      with      the  weapon 


qata-su 
of  his  hands 


mukh-kha-su 
upon  him 


im-qut 
fell, 


[ina  eli-sa  ?  kuss'a]  be-lu-u-ti-su 

\because  that  the  seat]       of  his  dominion 

An-nu-nit       [is-kun] 

of  Anunit  [lie  set  up\ 


a-na  pa-an       bit 
before       the  temple 


Reverse. 

I.       [sarru  sa]       E-lam-mat        al 

[The  king        of]         El  am        the  city 

mat  Rab-ba-a-tum  is-lul 

the  district  0/  the  capital     spoiled ; 


Akh-kha(?) 
ofAkhkhai^) 


e-lis 
above 


11  Or  Agade,  Akkad  (?). 
249 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.EOLOGY.  [1906. 

2.  [mat  ]\Ie-es  ?-]  ku  a-bu-ba-nis  is-kun  ma-kha-zu 
[the  land  of  Mas  T\              in  ruins             he  laid  ;  the  cities 

mat  Akkadi  gab-bi         Bar-si-[ip] 

of  Akkad,      the  7ohole  of    Borsippa, 

3.  [ka-lis]  ik-lu  D.P.  Ku-dur-lakhkha-mar     mari-su     ina 
\2itte7-ly\     he  destroyed.       As  for  Chedor-Iaomer,         his  son     with 

padhri     parzilli         sibbi-su         lib-ba-su     il-ta-[qib] 
the  dirk     of  iro?i     of  his  girdle     his  heart      pierced 

4.  [ina  sep]a       D.P.  nakri-su  il-ki-ma  ab-ah 
[at  the  feet^          of  his  foe.        Was  brought  low  thus      the  thought 

sarrani         a-nu-tu     bile  ar-[ni] 
of  the  kings,       these      wicked  o?ies, 

5.  [sar]-ru-tu      ka-mu-tu      sa  sar  ilani        D.P.  ^larduk 
evil-doers,     prisoners      of    the  king     of  the  gods,     Merodach. 

i-gu-ug-su-nu 
He  was  wroth  with  them  ; 

6.  [ma-la-at]       mar-tsa-a-tum       i-  rat-su-nu  ar-rat        u-tsur-ta 
[was  filled^^      with  affliction      their  breast ;      the  curse      of  a  ban 

ina  [eli-su-nu] 
(^as)  up  [on  them]. 

7.  [ga-na(?)  i-]tur-ru       ana       na-me-e       gis-te  (?)-ME-ni  zir 
[So(jy\  2vill  returti       to       the  desert           the  pla fits,           the  seed 

mat-su-nu  ana        sarra  bel  i-ni[-si] 

of  their  land.  To     the  king,     the  lord      of  the  weak, 

8.  [ir-su(?)  mu-]di-e  lib-bi  ilani 
[the  wise  one  (?),           who\  kno7us          the  hearts          of  the  gods, 

rim-nu-u        D.P.  Marduk     ana         zi-kir  sumi-su 

the  merciful  one,    Merodach,      for     the  renoiv?i     of  his  name 

9.  [ina  ki-rib  e-]ki  u  e-sag-gil  ni-bu 

[in  Baby\lon         aJid        E-Saggil        it  is  proclaimed  : 

ana  as-ri-su  li-tur 

'  May  {his  heart)     be  turned  again  (to  us)  ! 
250 


Dec.  12]  THE  CHEDOR-LAOMER  TABLETS.  [1906. 

10.  [na-khu  sa  lib-]bi-ka  liskun  an-na-a  sarru 

\_Resf  to]  iliy  heart      may  he  establish  ! '      This       ///ay  the  king, 

bel  i-nis(i)  lik-[bi] 

the  lord    of  the  weak,     pronounce! 

11.  [li-is-.su-ukh]  limutti-su  lib-ba-su  ilani 
\May  he  remove]         his  plague  !           His  heart         may  the  gods 

ab[e-su] 
[/lis]  fathers 

12.  [lu-sap-si-khu]     bil  khi-dhu         la  i-[su] 

{facif}^  I         The  sinner     shall  not  exist. 

(To  be  continued.) 


251 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.-EOLOGV.  [1906. 


THE   TABLETS    OF   NEGADAH   AND   ABYDOS. 

By  F.  Legge. 

The  tablets  which    I    propose    to   describe  here   are   the   small 
inscribed  pieces   of  ivory  or  wood   found  in  the  course  of  M.  de 
Morgan's    excavations   at   Negadah   and   those    of    M.    Amelineau 
and   (later)  of  Prof.  Petrie  at  Abydos.     They  are  mostly  incised, 
with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  which  bear  an  inscription  in  ink, 
and  can  be  referred  with  great  certainty  to  the  earliest  dynasties  of 
Manetho.     All  have  been  pubHshed  before  and  the  original  memoirs 
from  which  the  reproductions  in  the  plates  are  copied  will  be  found 
under  each  figure.      They  are  all  of  very  small  size,  never  exceeding 
2  or  3  inches  square,  and  their  one  common  feature  is  the  round 
hole  appearing  in  the  right-hand  top  corner  of  each.     From  this  I 
draw  the  conclusion  that  they  were  intended  to  be  strung  on  a  string 
or  pin  or  otherwise  filed  for  reference,  and  that  they  were  thu.s,  in 
the  strictest  sense  of  the  words,  records.       As  will  be  seen  later,  it  is 
contended  by  me  that  the  events  which  they  were  meant  to  record 
were  the  royal  gifts  to  temples  or  other  religious  foundations  on  the 
occasion    of    certain    festivals.       The    tablets    have    already   been 
discussed  and  different  theories  have  been  put  forth  concerning  them 
by    M.    Maspero,    Dr.  Naville,    Mr.   Griffith,    M.   Georges  Foucart, 
M.  Moret  and  Prof.  Petrie,^  and   I  wish  to  acknowledge  here  my 
indebtedness   to   the  works   of  all   these  writers  in  case  I  should 
fail  from  lack  of  space  to  give  due  acknowledgment  to  each  in  the 
course  of  the  discussion. 

^  See  Maspero,  Revue  Critique,  1898- 1906,  passim ;  Naville,  Keateil  de 
Travatix,  t.  XXI,  XXIV,  and  XXV,  and  La  Religion  dcs  Amiens  t^gyptiens, 
Paris,  1906  ;  Griffith,  Royal  Tombs  of  the  First  Dynasty,  Vols.  I  and  II ;  Foucart, 
Comptes  Rendtis  de  RAcadeinie  des  Inscriptions,  1901  and  1905,  and  Sphinx, 
Vols.  IV  and  V  ;  Moret,  Le  Ritnel  du  Cnlte  Divin  Jountalier,  and  Le  Caractere 
Religieiix  de  la  Royatite  Pharaonupie,  Paris,  1902  ;  Petrie,  Royal  Tombs,  Vols, 
quoted,  &c. 

252 


PLATE  I. 


Proc.  Soc.  Bib/.  Arch.,  Dec,  1906. 


-'«*»;^-i. 


,»i^  ' 


"•^i-u 


¥\G.    I. 

From  /\'tY.  ^/f  Trav.,  XXI,  105,  1899. 


..  z' 

r , 


^   r^.ii.^ 


■h  ' 


Fig.  2. 
From  a  photograph  hy  Mr.  Garstang. 


Ufx.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABVDOS.  [1906. 

The  Tablet  of  Negadah,  Plates  I  and  II. 

Desc7-iption  of  the  Tablet. 

This,  which  is  the  most  important  of  the  series,  inasmuch  as  it 
gives  us,  if  I  am  right  in  my  conclusions,  the  clue  to  the  interpretation 
of  all  the  rest,  was  found  in  several  fragments  of  which  the  largest  have 
been  joined  together  and  form  the  part  shown  in  PI.  I,  Fig.  i.  These 
were  discovered  by  M.  de  Morgan  at  Negadah  in  1897  in  the  great 
building  which  is  often,  although  erroneously,  called  from  this 
fragment,  the  "tomb  of  Menes."  In  1894,  Mr.  John  Garstang 
working  on  the  same  site  was  fortunate  enough  to  discover  the 
missing  fragment  shown  on  Ph  I,  Fig.  2,  together  with  the  fragment  of 
a  somewhat  smaller  tablet  bearing,  as  he  thinks,  the  same  inscription. 
With  the  help  of  this,  he  has  been  able  to  reconstruct  the  tablet 
as  he  thinks  it  must  have  appeared  when  whole,  and  this  reconstruc- 
tion appears  in  PI.  II,  Fig.  i.~  Only  the  extreme  right-hand  bottom 
corner  in  this  has  had  to  be  drawn  from  the  imagination,  and  I 
think  an  examination  of  the  different  figures  will  convince  most 
persons  that  this  addition  is  justified.  Mr.  Garstang  has,  however, 
omitted  the  figures  in  the  opposite  corner  to  this,  which  appear 
in  the  drawing  of  M.  de  Morgan's  find  made  by  M.  Jequier  and 
published  in  the  2nd  volume  of  M.  de  Morgan's  Recherches  sur 
les  Origines  de  F Egypte  {Paris,  1897),  where  it  appears  as  Fig.  549 
(p.  167).  I  have  therefore  found  it  necessary  to  make  a  second 
restoration  which  will  be  found  in  PI.  11,  Fig.  2.  It  is  this  last  which 
will  be  referred  to  in  the  following  remarks. 

The  tablet  appears  to  have  been  originally  divided  horizontally  into 
three  registers,  ^  which  I  will  take  in  their  order.     The  upper  register 


^  I  have  to  thank  Mr.  Garstang  for  having  most  kindly  sent  me  the  photo- 
graphs and  drawing  from  which  Fig.  2  of  PI.  I  and  Figs,  i  and  2  of  PI.  II  were 
made. 

"*  This  appears  quite  plainly  in  Mr.  Garstang's  smaller  tablet.  But  it  should 
be  noted  that  the  line  between  the  top  and  middle  register  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  continued  to  the  left-hand  or  dexter  side  of  the  tablet  in  Fig.  i. 
This  may  possibly  be  due  to  the  weathering  of  the  ivory,  which  was  evidently  in  a 
worse  condition  when  photographed  for  Dr.  Naville's  paper  in  the  Reciieil  (t.  XXI, 
p.  105)  than  when  copied  by  M.  Jequier  at  its  first  discovery.  The  point  will  be 
referred  to  when  we  come  to  discuss  the  figures  in  the  left-hand  top  corner  or 
dexter  canton. 

253 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.^OLOGY.  [1906. 

represents,  immediately  under  the  hole  bored  for  the  purpose  of 
])lacin-i;  the  tablet  on  the  file,  an  arched  construction  enclosed  in  a 
border  composed  of  three  parallel  lines  and  containing  within  it  the 
well-known  vulture  and  urfeus  or  nel>n'  group  ^^,  which  in  later 
times  always  formed  part  of  the  royal  protocol.  Below  this  appears 
a  sign  which  has  been  read  by  Dr.  Borchardt  and  Dr.  Sethe  as  the 
draught-board  or  men  sign  t^^,  and  which  forms  the  sole  ground  for 
their  assumption  that  the  king  whose  hawk  name  follows  was 
Manetho's  Menes.  It  will  be  remembered,  however,  by  everybody 
that  Dr.  Naville  has  given  many  cogent  reasons  against  this  reading 
which  gather  additional  weight  from  the  fact  that  no  confirmation 
has  been  given  to  Dr.  Borchardt's  theory  by  the  many  other  tablets  and 
jar-sealings  of  the  same  reign  that  have  since  come  to  light.  I  prefer 
then  for  the  present  to  read,  as  does  Dr.  Naville,^  the  whole  of  this 
group  of  signs  as  me7inebti  or  "  the  funerary  pavilion  of  the  king,"  while 
awaiting  the  publication  in  which  Mr.  Garstang  proposes  to  show- 
that  the  sign  under  the  ?iebii  \?,  not  d^f^,  but  some  other  hieroglyph.^ 
Immediately  after  this  pavilion  comes  a  srekh  or  hawk-crowned 
rectangle  containing  above  the  usual  facade  or  false  door  the  sign 
r\y\ ,  "  Aha  "  or  "  the  fighter  "  which  appears  on  the  hundred  or  so  of 
other  monuments  belonging  to  this  king.  This  is  followed  by  the 
sacred  bark  containing  the  usual  cabin  or  deck-house,  and  from  its 
hicrh  prow  is  suspended  the  most  usual  sign  of  the  Sed  festival.'' 
Above  this  soars  the  hawk  riding  a  harpoon  which  we  have  seen  on 
the  great  carved  slate  of  Hieraconpolis  {P.S.B.A.  XXII,  PI.  I).^ 
Behind  this  again  come  two  seated  or  couchant  figures  of  animals 
which  Mr.  Jequier  seems  to  have  thought  hawk-headed  sphinxes,  but 
which  appear  more  like  the  crouching  or  bound  calf  portrayed  in  the 
hieroglyph  <S^  of  which  we  have  many  instances  in  these  tablets. 
Underneath  these  are  two  (J  [j  which  here  seem  to  be  used  as 
numerals.       In  the  event  of  my  view  that  the  dividing-line  is  not 

^  Recucilde  Travaux,  X.  XXI,  p.  112. 

*  A.Z.,  Bd.  42  (1905),  P-  64.  P 

^  For  this,  which  I  would  suggest  is  the  ordinary  pahn-leaf  sign  of  the  year,  1  > 
with  a  great  many  transverse  notches  added,  and  a  cartouche  and  atef  crown  at 
the  foot,  see  Naville,  Festival  Hall  of  Osorkon,  PI.  xvii,  figs.  11,12.  Cf.  Lepsius, 
Denkm.,  IV,  57^2. 

"  As  will  be  seen  later,  this  group  appears  under  one  form  or  another  in  every 
one  of  these  tablets.  Cf.  also  the  "Palermo  Stone"  {Reciieil  de  Travaiix, 
t.  XXV,  PI.  i). 

254 


PLATE  II. 


Proc.  Soi.  Bib/.  Arch.,  Dec,  1906. 


Fig.    I. 
From  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Garstang. 


Fig.  2. 


After  a  drawing  by  M.  Jequier  in  M.  de  Morgan's  Recherches  sur  Ics  Origines 
de  r£gypte,  Vol.  II,  p.  167,  Fig.  549. 


Dec.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABYDOS.  [1906, 

carried  to  the  left  edge  of  the  tablet  being  accepted,  it  seems  likely 
that  these  groups  of  signs  are  a  kind  of  overflow  from  the  middle 
register,  in  which  there  was  apparently  no  room  for  them. 

In  the  middle  register  itself  appears  the  principal  scene  that  the 
tablet  was  doubtless  made  to  commemorate.  The  central  group  shows 
a  man  dressed  in  a  wig  and  a  singularly  abbreviated  tunic,^  engaged  in 
stirring  with  a  stick  something  in  a  vase  or  jar  supported  by  a  ring  stand 
about  three  feet  high.  On  the  other  side  of  the  vase  is  the  figure  of 
a  man  bent  over  as  if  to  look  into  its  contents  with  one  hand  out- 
stretched towards  it  and  resting  on  its  rim,  while  the  other  is  raised 
as  if  in  astonishment  or  adoration.  Behind  him  comes  a  sort  of  pro- 
cession led  by  a  man  dressed  in  a  long  kilt  and  leaning  on  a  stick,  and 
followed  by  three  personages  emerging  from  an  enclosure  or  hall 
surmounted  by  the  cheker  sign.  Over  the  three  personages  of  the 
procession  who  remain  within  the  hall  are  a  row  of  five  dots  or 
circles  which,  again,  are  probably  intended  for  numerals.  Above  the 
leader,  and  in  what  according  to  Egyptian  ideas  of  perspective  would 
be  the  background,  is  another  man  also  dressed  in  a  kilt  in  the  attitude 
of  bowing.  Behind  him,  in  the  part  which  is  missing  from  the  larger 
of  the  two  examples  of  this  tablet,  is  written  a  group  of  three  signs 

placed  vertically  which   seem   to   read     I         |)  ^.-^   .       Above   the 

head  of  the  figure  in  the  wig  are  the  two  signs  '^  and  <!:> 
placed  vertically,  the  lower  one  being  followed  by  what  Mr.  Garstang 
thinks  is  a  third  sign.  I  should  be  more  inclined  to  read  these  signs 
and   <^ ,    but   it   should   be  noted  that  they  do  not  appear 

on  the  larger  tablet,  the  place  which  they  would  there  occupy  to 
correspond  with  the  other  being  broken  away.  From  their  distinctness 
on  the  smaller  tablet,  moreover,  there  is  some  possibility  of  these,  as 

well  as  the  other  group    J    ^^  a;^-^    ,  having  been  added  by  a  later 

hand.     Behind  the  figure  with  the  wig  are  ranged,  first  three  seated 

figures  which  should  probably   be   taken  as  the  usual    ideogram 

for  "god,"  while  underneath  these  three  come  an  ox  bound  ^3^,  a 

'^  This  veiy  brief  tunic  or  kilt,  barely  reaching  to  the  knee,  and  clinging  to  the 
figure,  is  well  marked  in  the  representation  of  Pepi  I  at  the  quarries  of  Wady 
Hammamat.  See  Lepsius,  Denlun.,  II,  p.  115,  or  Moret,  Koyatttd  Pharaoiiiqiie, 
p.  263,      Cf.  also  the  very  short  kilt  in  the  great  slate  of  Hieraconpolis,  zihi  cit. 

25s  X 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

trussed  goose  ^3* ,  and  a  third  animal,  evidently  a  dead  bird  of 
some  sort.  Each  of  these  animals  has  before  it  the  billet  | ,  \vhich 
signifies  a  numeral.  Below  these  again  are  a  jar  with  the  usual 
conical  clay  seal  and  another  jar  without  a  seal,  both  bearing  lines 
which  seem  to  point  to  an  external  covering  of  basket-work,  while 
behind  them  is  what  appears  to  be  the  sign  for  water,  not  here  given 
as  /www,  but  in  the  chequered  form  in  which  it  appears  under  the 
sacred  bark,  and  on  the  top  of  it  a  ring  or  ball,  which  is  probably 
the  round  cake  always  seen  on  the  table  of  offerings.''* 

The  lower  register  contains  a  group  of  four  men  probably  all  dressed 
like  their  leader  in  a  long  kilt,  but  with  their  arms  bound  to  the  body 
and  not  swinging  loose  as  with  the  personages  in  the  middle  register. 
Facing  them  is  a  horizontal  line  of  hieroglyphs  which  should  read 

^  g      ">  ^=.-7=-  T  ^  •      As  jNIr.  Garstang  has  noticed,  there  has  been 
"=^     /]  -k  III 

an  erasure  in  both  tablets  under  the  sign  vo-?^. 

T/ie  Meaning  of  the  Scenes. 

This  becomes  fairly  plain  when  we  once  picture  to  ourselves  the 
ceremonies  celebrated  at  the  Sed  and  other  festivals  of  the  kings 
of  Egypt.  As  ^L  Moret  shows  with  great  clearness  in  his  most  in- 
structive book  (Zrt  Royaute  Pharaonique),  the  Sed  and  perhaps  most 
of  the  other  festivals  were  periodical  contracts  in  which  the  god 
renewed,  for  a  stated  time  and  in  exchange  for  certain  gifts,  the 
divine  power  granted  to  the  king  on  his  coronation.  That  they  were 
as  often  celebrated  for  the  dead  as  for  the  living  seems  plain  from 
thei  nstances  there  given  (see  especially  p.  269  et  seq.)  where  they 
are  repeated  not  only  for  dead  kings  but  for  Osiris  himself.  They 
are  also  peculiarly  associated  with  the  foundation  of  a  temple  or  other 
sacred  building  and  would  be  singularly  appropriate  to  the 
foundation  of  a  funerary  chapel  such  as  we  consider  to  have  been  the 
building  at  Negadah  where  the  tablet  was  found.^**  That  the  scene 
here  depicted  belongs  to  a  religious  ceremony  seems  plain  from  the 

occurrence  in  the  upper  register  of  the  group   n  Wv  ^.mjS   which 

*  See  Naville,  Deir  el-Bahari  I,  PI.  xvi.     It  should  be  noted  that  here,  as 
elsewhere,  the  lower  shelf  (so  to  speak)  of  the  table  is  occupied  with  water-pots. 
•"  See  Naville,  Rccudl  dc  Travattx,  I.  XXIV,  p.  109  sqq. 

256 


Dec.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABYDOS.  [1906. 

occurs  so  frequently  on  the  Palermo  Stone.  This,  which  Dr.  Naville 
reads  Sches  Hor,  is  admitted  to  denote  a  festival,  and  if  the  object 
dangling  from  the  beak  of  the  galley  is  really  the  Sed  symbol,  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  it  is  some  ceremony  of  the  Sed  festival  which  is 
here  depicted. ^^  Now  at  this  festival  the  king  is  represented  as  passing 
from  one  chamber  to  the  other  where  he  performs  certain  symbolical 
acts.  Thus  in  one  he  is  represented  as  seated  in  a  double  pavilion,  in 
one  compartment  of  which  he  wears  the  Crown  of  the  North  and  in 
the  other  that  of  the  South,  and  is  exhibited  to  the  adoration  of  the 
people  at  the  top  of  a  staircase.  In  another  scene  he  is  depicted  as 
staking  out  the  ground  for  the  proposed  construction  in  company 
with  the  scribe-goddess  Safkliit,  digging  the  foundation  'lines  with  a 
hoe,  and  scattering  sand  in  the  trench- thus  formed  to  make  them 
more  distinct.  In  yet  another  he  steps  out  the  ground  dedicated 
either  alone  or  in  company  with  the  Apis  bull,  and  in  another  he 
shoots  four  arrows  or  releases  from  a  cage  four  birds  which  fly 
towards  the  four  quarters  of  the  world.  But  he  is  also  represented  as 
moulding  bricks  to  be  placed  at  the  four  angles  of  the  building,  and 
this  is  what  he  is  apparently  here  depicted  as  doing. i~  In  Brugsch's 
Worterbnch  (Vol.  VII,  p.  1095),  indeed,  is  given  a  scene  much 
resembling  that  here  shown,  in  which  one  man  is  depicted  as. 
pounding  something  in  a  mortar  placed  on  the  ground  while  another 
stands  by  with  raised  pestle  ready  to  take  his  share  in  the  operation. 
This,  apparently,  has  induced  Prof.  Petrie  to  suggest  that  a  similar 
group  shown  on  another  tablet  {R.T.  I,  PI.  xiii,  5)  shows  "a  man 
pounding"  {op.  cit.,  v,  p.  21).  But  the  only  thing  that  would  be  likely 
to  be  pounded  in  this  way  is  corn,  to  which  Brugsch's  scene  evidently 
refers,  and  the  vessel  or  clay  jar  in  a  ring  stand  would  be  singularly 
ill-adapted  for  such  a  purpose,  being  at  once  certain  to  break  from  blows 
applied  to  the  inside  and  liable  to  tip  over.  It  seems  to  me  therefore 
much  more  likely  that  the  king  is  here  not  pounding  but  mixing  the 
clay  and  water  necessary  for  the  making  of  the  foundation  bricks,  while 

^'  Dr.  Schiifer,  Eiii  Bnichstilck  Altiigyptischer  Anitaleii,  Berlin,  1902,  trans- 
lates the  group  the  "Adoration  of  Horus,"  which  would  make  little  difference 
as  to  the  meaning  of  the  scene,  although  it  would  introduce  some  repetition  into 
the  actual  reading  of  the  tablet. 

'-  All  the  above  ceremonies  are  described  at  length  in  Moret's  Royaiitc 
Fharaonitjtie,  where  references  to  the  monuments  are  given.  They  are  also 
admirably  summarized  by  Dr.  Naville  in  his  College  de  France  Lectures  now 
published  under  the  title  La  Religion  des  Anciens  'Egyptiens  (Vz.\\%,  1906).  See 
especially  p.  234  et  seq. 

257  X  2 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  AKCIL^iOLOGV.  [1906. 

the  figure  opposite  him  stands  read)'  to  carr)-  them  into  position  as  soon 
as  made.  The  presence  of  the  jars  and  the  water  table  behind  him 
may  be  connected  with  this  and  the  man  in  the  back  ground  who 
appears  to  be  bowing  is  according  to  I\L  Moret  the  figure  of  a  man 
modelling  in  clay  {R.P.,  154,  note).  As  for  the  provisions  in  the 
middle  register,  we  know  that  at  one  part  of  the  Sed  ceremonies  the 
king  passed  through  chambers  in  which  tables  of  offerings  were  laid 
out  in  presence  of  the  statues  of  the  gods  and  which  were  expressly 

called  ifTj  ^  ''"^'^S^''  "eating-halls."     Perhaps  the  billet   |   in 

front  of  each  dead  animal  signifies  that  one  such  table  was  set  for 
each  statue,  but  this  is  very  doubtful,  and  it  is  more  probable  that 
it  refers  to  some  numeral  as  yet  unknown  to  us.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  principal  group  the  three    men  coming  from  the  chamber 

surmounted  by  the  cheker  ornament    (j   are   doubtless   the   rekhitou 

or  peers  of  the  conquering  race  whose  presence  was  obligatory  at 

these  ceremonies.      I  should  like  to  see  in  the    (j  ,   as  Mr.  Garstang 

suggests  in  his  A.Z.  article,  the  spear  heads  which  appear  in  the 
scene  on  the  Hieraconpolis  ^^  mace  as  supporting  the  canopy  over 
the  double  pavilion  ;  but  I  am  not  sure  that  the  finials  shown  on 
the  mace  are  really  spear  heads  (the  ivory  being  much  eaten  away  at 
this  point),  and  in  later  times  at  any  rate  the  symbolism  of  this  seems 
to  have  been  completely  lost,^''  It  seems  therefore  more  likely  that 
they  must  be  considered  as  representing  flames  and  that  this  was  the 
"chamber  of  fire,"  from  which  the  king  passed  on  setting  out  for  the 
Sed  ceremonies. I''  The  circles  over  the  heads  of  the  rekhiUni 
probably  refer,  as  I  have  suggested,  to  their  numbers,  here  denoted 
by  some  system  of  numeration  not  yet  known  to  us. 

Before  leaving  the  middle  register,  it  is  necessary  to  say  some- 
thing about  the  two  hieroglyphic  phrases  or  groups  there  found, 
which,  as  I  have  suggested,  may  have  been  added  by  a  later  hand, 
and  on  the  smaller  example  of  the  tablet  only.     The  first  of  these, 

^''  Moret,  Royaiite  Pharaoniqiie,  p.  247. 

'^  (^uibell,  Ilicraconpolis,  I,  PI.  xxvi,  6,  and  Morel,  Royautc  Pliaraonique, 
p.  240. 

'•''  See,  however,  Pepi  I  at  Wady  Haniniamat  [tibi  cil.)  wliere  the  supporks  of 
the  pavilion  are  still  sptars. 

'"  See  scene  from  Cavet's  Loiixor,  given  in  Moret,  Koyaitte  Pharaonique, 
p.  238,  fig.  68. 

258 


Dec.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABYDOS.  [1906. 

which  Mr.    Garstang  would   read  with   some  reserve,    I    ^^  at^^ 

might  well  be  taken  for  an  archaic  and  abbreviated  form  of  the 

I    ^:^^  "the   king   himself,"!''  so    often    met   with    in   these 

ceremonies  as  a  rubric  denoting  that  the  particular  act  must  be  done 
by  the  king,  who  was  theoretically,  and  as  being  himself  a  god,  the 
only  person  who  could  venture  to  perform  them.  As  a  matter  of 
practice,  however,  it  was  impossible  for  the  king  to  visit  all  the 
temples  in  Egypt  where  such  festivals  as  the  Sed  were  celebrated, 
and  it  was  therefore  necessary  for  him  to  delegate  his  powers  for  the 
occasion  to  the  high  priest  of  the  temple  in  question  who  acted  in 
his  name.i^  This  would  account  for  the  personage  in  the  wig  in  our 
tablet,  who  seems  to  represent  the  king,  not  wearing  either  the  atef  ox 
the  tchesert  crown.  As  Negadah  was  not  even  a  principal  town, 
and  was  quite  out  of  the  ordinary  track  of  royal  progresses,  it  is  most 
probable  that  the  performance  of  these   rites  in  any  temple  there 


would    be   thus    delegated.      In   like   manner    the    legend    if/   "^ 

appearing  over  the  head  of  the  priest,  which  we  may  perhaps  read 

^    ;*!*    "  chief  of  the  South,"  would  be  perfectly  appropriate. 

The  meaning  of  the  two  upper  registers  is  then  plain,  and  it  will 
hardly  be  disputed  that  the  four  figures  in  the  lower  register  with 
bound  arms  represent  prisoners.  There  only  remains,  then,  to  con- 
sider the  horizontal  line  of  hieroglyphs  above-mentioned,  which 
sufficiently  resemble  those  on  all  the  other  tablets  yet  found  at 
Negadah  or  Abydos  to  convince  us  that  it  is  some  phrase  of 
common  form,  or,  in  other  words,  a  formula.  These  other  tablets 
will  be  reproduced  and  discussed  in  later  parts  of  this  Paper.  In 
the  meantime,  the  variants  of  the  formula  in  the  Negadah  tablet 
which  they  present  appear  to  work  out  thus  ^^  : — 


^'  Mariette,  Abydos,  I,  Pis.  44,  45,  47(7,  47^,  and  53.  Cj.  Moret,  Koyaute 
Pharaoniqite ,  p.  120.  If  we  like  to  imagine  the  determinative  I — I,  it  may 
mean,  as  Baron  von  Bissing  suggests  in  another  case  {V Anthropologic,  t.  IX, 
pp.  251-252  (1898)),  the  royal  storehouse. 

'**  Compare  the  o-pxf^v  fia(Ti\fvs  at  Athens. 

'^  The  references  given  in  the  margin  to  Koyal  Tombs,  I  and  II,  and  Abydos,  I, 
are  to  the  admirably  clear  hand  copies  provided  by  Prof.  Petrie.  Reproductions 
of  the  actual  objects  will  be  given  later. 

259 


Dfc.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH^OLOC.V.  [1906. 

(«)    ^=^  (5)  ^  v^  ^  ^  f^  ^-T.,  II,  PL  X,  fig.  2. 

(/')     .==^  ^  %  ^  1^  '<a  ^-^-^    "•    PJ-   -^i'   fig-    '' 

(^)   <=^  1  ^  ^   (^'S'^^  doubtful)  R.T.,  I,  PI.  xiv,  fig.  10. 

(d)    _^  ^.-^  ^  cd  S^  (the  like)  R.T.,  I,  PI.  xiv,  fig.  11. 

{e)   \  M  0  £:J  ^  ^J  ^  l  S    (order  doubtful) 

^   ^  J^.T.,  I,  PI.  XV,  fig.  16. 

(/)  al-"^-  ''^  y  A'.r.,  I,  PI.  XV,  fig.  18. 


(<?■)  J  .=^  ^  0  ^•^•'  I'  PI-  >^^-"'  fig-  26. 

u 

C'^)  ,:^  f   T  l  ^    '^"^^^^'  doul)tful)         R.T.,  I,  PI.  xvii,  fig.  28. 


(^)^^^#fl|o|g 

Amelineau,  N.  F.  d'Abydos,  t.  Ill,  i,  PI.  xv,  fig.  19. 


The.se  are  all  that  can  be  made  out  with  any  certainty,  and  although 
some  of  these  signs  can  be  recognized  on  other  tablets  of  the  period, 
they  are  too  fragmentary  for  any  argument  to  be  drawn  from  them. 
Nor  can  very  much  be  drawn  from  the  order  of  the  signs,  which 
has  evidently  been  varied  by  the  writers  to  suit  the  exigencies  of 
each  particular  case ;  but  it  is  evident  that  the  presence  of  the 
demi-lion  $y  is  invariable,  in  the  one  instance  in  which  it  is  miss- 
ing, the  part  being  broken  away  where  it  would  naturally  have  been 

260 


Dec.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABYDOS.  [1906. 

found.     Next  to  this  comes  the  group  ^^^  g=>^j/|,  which  appears 

in  five  out  of  the  ten  Abydos  inscriptions  just  given  in  addition  to  the 
Negadah  tablet,  the  three  signs  composing  it  being  ahvays  in  close 
enough  juxtaposition  to  make  it  clear  that  their  relative  situation  is 
not  accidental.  Another  group  which  occurs  with  equal  frequency 
is  the  sign  which  I  have  read  v..^^^  {k/iet),  which  appears  in 
every  case  but  one  in  company  with  one  or  more  Q.  {shad).  This 
last  is  evidently  a  numeral  denoting  probably,  as  in  later  times,  100, 

while  the   u  {tep)  sign  found  in  at  least  three  places  is  probably  the 

ordinal  number  meaning  "  first."  The  only  other  sign  on  which 
I  would  lay  much  stress  is  the  vase  Q,  which  occurs  in  one  shape 
or  another  in  seven  of  the  above  inscriptions,  and  on  three  of  them 
occurs  twice. 

The  Meaning  of  the  Formula. 

The  reading  of  this  formula  presents  several  difficulties  not  met 
with  in  later  inscriptions.  Mr.  Griffith  admits  that  there  is  here 
no  evidence  of  the  employment  of  determinatives,-"  and  although 
he  thinks  that  the  case  is  different  with  regard  to  phonetic  comple- 
ments, the  two  instances  that  he  quotes  -^  hardly  bear  out  his 
contention.  It  has  also  been  suggested,  that  in  the  primitive 
writing  of  such  inscriptions  as  the  present,  the  signs  have  no 
phonetic  value,  and  that  each  sign  represents  a  word,  either  by  its 
pictorial  signification  or  by  some  convention  which  we  cannot 
ahvays  trace.  Hence  we  can  only  guess  at  their  meaning,  and  until 
some  consensus  of  opinion  be  obtained,  one  guess  is  likely  to  be  as 
valuable  as  another.  Hence  our  best  guide  must  be  what  we  think 
from  external  reasons  to  be  the  general  sense  of  the  formula,  and  in 

-"  Royal  Tombs,  I,  p.  34. 

-^  These  are  :  (i)  the  employment  of  the  sign  C^  as  the  phonetic  complement 

of  4  in  the  word  siiteii.     But  if  my  reading  of  the  phrase      I  [)    here  given 

is  correct,  this  is  not  the  case  with  this  tablet,  and  the  instance  on  which  he  relies 
is  taken  from  the  inscriptions  of  Qa,  who  is  certainly  not  earlier  than  the  end  of 
the  1st  Dynasty,  and  should  probably  be  assigned  to  the  Ilnd.  (2)  The  use  of 
the  same  sign  C:\  as  part  of  the  ^'[^  or  siiteii  bat  title.  But  this  also  does  not 
appear  in  the  earlier  inscriptions,  while  the  sign  4  is  often  found  on  them 
with  apparently  the  meaning  of  suten  and  without  any  complement. 

261 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

this  case  there  is  good  ground  for  thinking  that  this  must  be  a 
donation.  On  the  departure  of  the  king  (or  his  representative)  from 
the  "eating-hall,"  says  M.  Moret,  "le  roi  fait  connaitre  aux  dieux  les 
fondations  dc  bien  meubles  et  immeubles,  les  dotations  du  personnel 
sacerdotal  ....  en  reconnaissance  des  honneurs  divins  de  la  fete 
Sed  et  des  souhaits  dont  on  I'a  comble."  Moreover,  since  the  very 
small  size  of  the  tablet  forbids  the  belief  that  it  was  intended  as  a 
memorial  of  the  ceremony  or  as  a  model  for  future  use,  the  inscription 
of  the  donation  was  probably  its  chief  raison  (Tctre.  We  are  con- 
firmed in  this  view  by  the  fact  that  such  things  as  jars,  Q,  and 
pieces  of  wood,  ^-:=-^,  seem  indicated  by  the  signs  in  each  case 
accompanied  by  numerals. 

With  these  hints  we  seem  to  be  able  to  make  a  guess — I  do 
not  pretend  to  anything  more — at  the  meaning  of  the  signs  in 
which  the  formula  is  expressed.  The  sign  ^__$^,  which,  I  shall 
contend,  should  always  be  placed  first  in  the  different  readings 
of  the  formula,  seems  to  be  generally  used  in  early  times  in  the 
sense  of  beginnhig  or  commencement  or  the  first  part  of  any- 
thing. Hence  it  would  be  very  appropriate  to  the  foundation  of 
a  temple  or  chapel,  and  in   this  sense  I  propose  to  read  it.     The 

group   '^^v  I >  /\   which    follows,   Mr.    Griffith   would    read    with 

the  last  as  ^ ^     H    ^^,   ,  which  he  translates  as  "  who  takes  the 

throne  of  Horus."  But  this,  besides  giving  no  particular  sense  in 
itself,  does  not  seem  to  agree  with  the  context,  either  here  or  in  the 
variants,  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that,  in  the   variants   I  have  called 

{c)  ( /)  (^)  {h)  and  (y ),  the  group  ^^.   s=r>  ^  is  dropped,  which 

would  render  Mr.  Griffith's  reading  of  the  first  sign  impossible. 
I   propose   therefore,   while  accepting   Horus    as    the    equivalent    of 

^^v     to   give   to   the     /\    the    meaning  of  "temple,"  or   "sacred 

building  "  which  it  often  takes  later,  and  to  read  s=5  as  the  primi- 
tive form  of  what  was  afterwards  ^^=*,  with  the  sense  of  "bringing," 
or  even  "giving."  The  .sentence  would  then  read,  "At  the  foundation, 
the  Horus  {i.e.^  the  king)  gave  to  the  temple."  What  it  was  he  gave 
is  sufficiently  shown  by  the  khet  sign  ^='^^,  which  we  may  take  in  its 
more  primitive  sense  of  "  wood,"  while  the  erased  sign  underneath 
it  may  be  restored  to  accord  with  (a)  as  one,  or  with  variants  {h)  {d) 
{e)  and  (/)  as  two  measures.     The  amount  of  the  measure  cannot,  of 

262 


Dec.  12]        THE  TABLETS  OF  NEGADAH  AND  ABYDOS.  [1906. 

•course,  be  stated  with  any  accuracy,  but  if  the  later  significance  of 
the  Q.  be  considered,  it  may  be  held  to  mean  one  or  two  hundred 
beams,   planks,   or  other  (Quantities  of  wood.     In  like  manner  the 

•sign  which  follows,  if  it  be  really  T,  may  mean,  as  later,  1000,  and  as 

the  Q  bears  under  it  the  sign  of  the  plural,  it  must  be  taken  as 
signifying  a  thousand  jars  of  some  liquid.  Was  this  bitumen,  which 
seems  to  have  been  much  used  in  the  construction  of  these  edifices, 
■or  clay  for  bricks,  or  even  water,  very  likely  to  be  precious  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert?  And  were  the  four  captives  seen  before  the 
inscription  included  in  the  donation,  slaves  given  to  the  temple  for 
sacrifice  or  otherwise,  or  merely  the  carriers  of  the  king's  bounty  ? 
As  they  do  not  appear  later,  this  last  question  will  remain  un- 
.answered. 

Suinifiary. 

On  the  whole,  then,  my  suggestion  is  that  the  tablet  should  be 
read  thus  : — 

First  Register. — At  the  Sed  festival  of  the  Horus  Aha  in  his 
pavilion  of  repose  {i.e.,  after  his  death). 

Second  Register. — [Rubric.']  The  acts  done  by  the  king  him- 
self {i.e.,  by  the  priest  who  plays  his  part).  The  chief  of 
the  South  mixes  the  clay  for  the  bricks  of  the  foundation 
before  the  Rekhitou  and  passes  through  the  eating-hall, 
where  tables  of  offerings  of  meat,  wine,  and  the  like  are 
set  before  three  statues  of  the  gods. 

Third  Register. — At  the  foundation,  the  Horus  gave  to  the 
temple  (or  had  brought  by  his  slaves)  two  hundred 
measures  of  wood  and  a  thousand  measures  of  water  (and 
in  the  alternative  four  captives). 

I  by  no  means  venture  to  assert  that  this  reading  is  the  only  one 
possible  or  even  likely,  but  I  hope  to  be  able  to  show  later  that  it  can 
be  made  to  accord  with  the  inscriptions  on  the  other  tablets  of  the 
same  age. 

{To  be  continued.) 
263 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


PRE-SARGONIC     TIMES. 
A  STUDY  IN  CHRONOLOGY. 

By  THE  Rev.  F.  A.  Jones. 

The  excavations  at  Nuffar  furnish  a  very  remarkable  consecutive 
record  of  a  long  period  of  time.  The  sectional  diagram  of  this  on 
p.  549  of  Prof.  Hilprecht's  Explorations  in  Bible  Lands  is  of  unique 
interest,  giving  as  it  does  in  condensed  form  so  much  valuable  data 
by  which  to  judge  the  history.  The  lists  of  Babylonian  and  Egyptian 
Kings  in  the  Catalogues  of  the  British  Museum  also  furnish  very  full 
information  of  the  same  character,  and  do  not  exceed  the  estimate  of 
at  most  5000  B.C.  for  the  earliest  archseological  remains. 

The  points  in  the  sectional  diagram  referred  to  above,  reproduced 
with  Prof.  Hilprecht's  kind  permission  (see  Plate),  which  may  be 
said  to  be  identified  with  unquestioned  accuracy  are  the  Parthian 
Era,  200  B.C.,  and  Assurbanipal,  650  B.C.  The  interval  shows  4^  feet 
deposit,  or  one  foot  per  century. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  attempt  to  gauge  time  with  any  accuracy 
b)-  the  depth  of  deposit  of  this  kind,  which  must  have  varied  greatly 
with  the  conditions.  Times  of  peace  would  remain  largely  without 
record ;  times  of  disturbance  or  of  building  activity  might  suddenly 
account  for  several  feet.  Still,  as  this  argument  has  been  used  to 
prove  the  earliest  remains  at  Nuffer  8000  B.C.,  it  may  be  examined. 

From  Assurbanipal,  650  B.C.,  to  Naram  Sin,  3750  B.C.  (according 
to  the  received  reckoning),  we  have  14^  feet  to  represent  3100  years. 
And  if  the  date  given  by  Prof.  Hilprecht  (p.  417)  for  Kadashman 
Turgu,  1400  B.C.,  and  that  of  2500  B.C.  for  Ur  Ninib  are  right,  we 
have  2  feet  deposit  for  750  years,  2\  feet  for  iioo  years,  and  then 
10  feet  for  1250  years,  without  appropriating  a  date  for  Ur  Gur.  This 
sufificiently  proves  the  irregularity.  The  interval  of  8  feet  between 
Ur  Gur  and  Naram  Sin  stands  in  the  British  Museum  List  for  1250 
years,  but  is  not  bridged  over  by  a  single  known  name.  If  Eri  Arku, 
2300  B.C.,  and  Khammurabi,  2200  B.C.,  were,  as  we  now  have  good 

264 


Proc.  Soc.  Bib/.  Arch.,  Dec,  1906. 


Section  of  the  Stage-Towei  and  the  Adjoining  Southeast  Court 
RcslorcJ  and  dcsiirneJ  />y  Hi/prfi/it,  Ji  iiicn  hy  Fiiher 

A-B-P-L.    Ashurbariapal.       N-S.    Narjm-Sin.       U-G.     L'r-Cur.        P      Pa-ve- 

ment.      ■■.    Baked  B'tck.       =.    Pafement  of  rwo  Iciycrs  of  bncki.       Alcdiurc- 

mcnli  giTCn  infect. 


From  Prof.  Hili>RI<:cht's  E.xplomtio)is  in  Bible  Laiids,  1903. 


Dec.  12]  PRE-S ARGON IC  TIMES.  [1906. 

reason  to  believe,  contemporary  with  Abraham,  2000  p..c.  is  about  as 
early  as  they  can  reasonably  be  placed. 

The  Elamite  invasion,  according  to  Berossus,  was  quite  200  years 
before  the  Babylonian  dynasty  to  which  Khammurabi  is  appropriated, 
and  Rawhnson  in  Herodotus  (I.  423)  argues  by  four  lines  of  proof 
that  this  took  place  about  2231  B.C.  If  so,  the  invasion  after 
Ur  Gur,  so  graphically  depicted  by  Prof.  Hilprecht  (pp.  379-81 
and  513),  was  probably  a  later  one,  in  support  of  which  view  further 
evidence  might  be  adduced. 

In  my  short  pamphlet  on  "The  Inscription  of  Nabonidus  "  I  have 
stated  reasons  for  a  different  understanding  of  the  3200  years  to 
Naram  Sin,  which  would  bring  that  king  say  2300  B.C.,  and  make 
him  the  immediate  predecessor  of  Ur  Gur. 

Professor  Sayce  in  his  paper  on  "  The  Astronomy  and  Astrology 
of  the  Babylonians"  {S.B.A.  Trans.,  Ill,  p.  237),  before  the  discovery 
of  this  inscription,  referring  to  the  record  of  the  equinox  being  then 
in  Aries,  gave  2540  B.C.  as  the  "extreme  limit  of  the  antiquity  of  the 
ancient  Babylonian  Calendar "  of  Sargon  I  by  the  precession  of  the 
equinoxes. 

The  view  I  have  contended  for  has  the  merit,  at  all  events,  of 
agreeing  with  the  Chronology  of  Berossus,  so  explained,  with  the 
Hebrew,  Hindu,  and  Chinese  classics,  and,  as  shown  above,  with  the 
date  of  Sargon  I  as  calculated  by  the  precession  of  the  equinoxes. 

If  it  is  even  approximately  correct,  it  involves  that  the  deluge 
testified  to  by  these  authorities  took  place  within  100  years  of 
Sargon  I,  which  raises  points  of  considerable  interest,  as  in  that 
case  a  great  deal  at  least  of  the  pre-Sargonic  remains  must  be 
antediluvian.     Is  that  possible  ? 

All  the  authorities  agree  in  describing  that  100  years,  or  there- 
abouts, following  the  deluge,  as  being  a  time  of  petty  kings,  and 
Prof.  Hilprecht  seems  to  confirm  this  by  the  testimony  of  the 
monuments  (pp.  254  and  383).     But  what  of  the  Flood? 

Professor  Sayce,  to  whom  the  suggestion  was  made,  very  kindly 
replied,  and  pointed  out  the  grave  difficulty  involved  in  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  crude  bricks  of  the  pre-Sargonic  period  could  have 
survived  a  deluge  which  lasted,  according  to  the  Hebrew  account,  for 
twelve  months.  But  the  crude  bricks  referred  to  in  this  connexion 
are  said  by  Prof.  Hilprecht  to  be  made  of  clay,  not  of  mud  as 
in  Egypt.  Such  bricks  would  speedily  be  re-converted  into  clay. 
It  must  be,   however,  remembered  that   clay  is   not   exactly  mud. 

265 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.IIOLOGV.  [1906. 

Puddled  clay  will  resist  the  flow  of  water  very  effectually,  and  it 
seems  not  impossible  that  the  first  few  layers  of  bricks  permeated 
with  water  might  serve  this  purpose,  even  if  the  4  feet  difference  of 
the  two  plain  levels  indicated  in  the  diagram  did  not  also  indicate 
an  alluvial  deposit  brought  up  by  the  first  rush  of  water,  which  might 
serve  the  same  purpose  and  protect  the  buildings  which  it  covered. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  quantity  of  worked 
clay  found  at  Nuffar,  that  is,  clay  that  had  been  already  made  into 
bricks  but  had  disintegrated — Why  not  by  the  Deluge?  Ur  Gur 
found  this  material  so  abundant  that  he  covered  Naram  Sin's  pave- 
ment with  it  8  feet  in  depth.  As  there  are  two  layers  of  it  with 
articles  imbedded,  it  was  evidently  laid  in  the  position  in  which  it 
is  found  (p.  387).  Prof.  Hilprecht  further  tells  us  where  such 
material  could  be  found,  and  it  is  specially  interesting  to  read  of 
an  ancient  wall  which  thus  formed  a  source  of  supply  (pp.  493  and 
499),  and  especially  because  when  the  pit  was  examined  from  which 
such  clay  had  been  taken,  a  pre-Sargonic  gateway  was  found  imme- 
diately beneath,  proving  that  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  that 
wall  at  all  events  was  subsequent  to  the  pre-Sargonic  period,  though 
the  earlier  remains  survived  it. 

It  must  not  be  imagined,  however,  that  the  pre-Sargonic  buildings 
were  constructed  necessarily  of  unprotected  crude  bricks.  On  p.  373 
Prof.  Hilprecht  argues  specially  against  any  such  assumption  con- 
cerning later  structures.  Besides  which,  there  is  testimony  to  baked 
brick  and  sometimes  bitumen  having  been  used  for  the  protection  or 
construction  of  at  least  some  of  the  pre-Sargonic  work.  It  was  so  at 
Nuffar  (p.  398),  where  well-baked  bricks  are  described  as  forming 
the  arch  of  the  most  ancient  drain.  Also  at  Telloh  (p.  240-1)  the 
earlier  structure  is  imbedded  in  baked  bricks  laid  in  bitumen,  though, 
as  this  is  ascribed  to  Ur  Nina,  it  may  possibly  be  too  late  to  apply. 
The  description  given  on  pp.  173-4  of  the  oldest  work  at  Muqayyar, 
"sun-dried  bricks  in  the  centre,  with  a  thick  coating  of  massive, 
partially  burnt  bricks  of  a  red  colour  with  layers  of  reeds  between 
them,  the  whole,  to  the  thickness  of  10  feet,  being  cased  with  a  wall 
of  inscribed  kiln-burnt  bricks,"  suggests  at  least  a  structure  that 
might  even  survive  the  flood,  especially  as  it  is  said  (p.  176)  that  this 
dates  to  the  pre-Sargonic  period. 

Another  possible  confirmation  is  found  in  Prof.  Hilprecht's 
explanation  of  the  peculiar  L-shaped  structure  and  the  reason  for 
building  it  (p.  451);   while  the  evident  care  taken  in  Naram  Sin's 

266 


Dec.  12] 


PRE-SARGONIC  TIMES. 


[1906. 


day  of  relics  of  the  pre-Sargonic  age,  the  civihzation  of  which  was 
so  highly  advanced,  is  at  least  consistent  with  the  view  suggested. 

At  all  events,  so  much  attention  is  just  now  being  given  to 
remains  of  this  period,  that  it  will  soon  probably  be  easy  either  to 
prove  or  to  disprove  the  possibility  of  a  deluge  having  occurred 
since  the  earliest  buildings  on  this  very  probable  site  for  antediluvian 
remains. 


Accepted  Dates. 

B.C. 

Parthian 

200 

Assurbanipal 

650 

Kadashman  Turgu     1400 


Ur  Ninib  2500 

Ur  Gur  2500 

Naram  Sin  375° 

a  is  known  for  certain,  the  rest  estimated. 


V 


Calculation    ox    the    Accepted 
Dates. 

feet.  years.        per  century. 

a  45  450  1 2 'o  inches. 


2 

750 

3-2      „ 

24 

1 100 

or. 

272    „ 

44 

1 100 

4-9      », 

8 

1250 

7-69        M 

1250 


9-6 


/>  +  c  +  d  14^  3100  5-6inches. 


B. 


Suggested    Revision 

OF    Naram 

Sin's  Date 

feet.         years. 

per  century 

a              4h             450 

12  inches 

d  +  c  +  d  14^ 


1600        1 0*87  inches* 


267 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCILEOLOGV.  [1906. 


NOTE  ON  A  PECULIAR  PENDANT  SHOWN  ON  THREE 
STATUES  OF  USERTSEN  HI. 

Bv  Prof.  Dr.  Valdemar  Schmidt. 

The  British  Museum  received  last  year  from  the  Egypt  Explora- 
tion Fund,  three  excellent  statues  found  at  Der  el  Bahari  by  Prof. 
Navili-e  and  Mr.  H.  R.  Hall  during  the  excavations  made  by  them 
on  behalf  of  the  Fund.  The  statues,  Nos.  684,  685,  686,  represent 
the  Xllth  dynasty  king,  usually  called  Usertesett,  or  Usertsoi ;  and 
lately,  by  some  Egyptologists,  Semisert,  and  Sesostris  III. 

All  three  statues,  which  are  partly  mutilated,  the  lower  part  of 
the  arms  and  legs  being  missing,  have  on  the  breast  as  a  pendant, 
an  ornament  which,  though  not  hitherto  quite  unknown,  is  seldom 
met  with. 

The  pendant  in  question  was  recognised,  some  years  ago,  by  Dr. 
H.  ScHAFER,  of  the  Berhn  Museum,  as  a  knot  tied  with  a  linen  band. 
It  was  considered  in  Old  Egypt  an  amulet  of  magic  power,  and 
therefore  often  worn.  This  pendant  is  not  the  only  form  of  magic 
knot  used  by  the  Ancient  Egyptians.  There  are  many  other  forms 
which  have  been  studied  quite  recently  by  Baron  Dr.  Fr.  W.  von 
BissiNG  in  a  very  interesting  article,  "Aegyptische  Knotenamulette," 
printed  in  a  volume  dedicated  to  the  late  Dr.  Hermann  Usener  on 
the  occasion  of  his  70th  birthday.  This  volume  was  published  in 
1905  as  an  Appendix  to  Vol.  VIII  of  Archiv  fur  Rc/igiofiswisse?i- 
sc/ia/t. 

The  pendant  in  question  is  seen  on  the  breast  of  a  bronze  bust 
in  the  Egyptian  museum  of  the  "Palais  du  Cinquantenaire "  at 
Brussels,  and  also  on  the  breast  of  the  upper  part  of  a  granite 
statuette  of  an  Egyptian  king  in  the  Glyptothek  Ny  Carlsberg  at 
Copenhagen  (marked  A.  1,  see  Plate).  This  figure  seems  to  have 
been  seated,  but  the  lower  part  has  disappeared ;  what  remains  of  it 
is  12^  inches  high.  As  it  bears  no  inscription  it  is  difficult  to  assign 
a  date  to  it.     It  was  bought  in  Cairo  in  1892,  and,  according  to  the 

268 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Anh.,  Dec.,  1906. 


GRANITE  STATUE 
IN  THE  COPENHAGEN  GLYPTOTHEK. 


Dec.  12]  NOTE  ON  A  PECULIAR  PENDANT.  [1906. 

dealer,  it  was  found  at  Memphis  near  the  spot  where  the  well- 
known  statuettes  of  old  kings  in  the  Cairo  Museum  were  found  (at 
Mitrahinne).  It  might  possibly,  therefore,  date  from  the  Old  Empire. 
A  comparison  of  this  statue  with  those  from  Der  el  Bahari  clearly  shows 
that  the  former  represents  Usertesen  III.  In  the  Berlin  Museum  is 
the  upper  part  of  a  granite  statuette  of  a  king  (No.  11348),  which  is 
similar  in  character,  but  without  the  pendant  on  the  breast.  This 
statuette  is  also  uninscribed,  but  is,  in  the  Catalogue,  attributed  to 
the  Middle  Empire. 


269 


Dkc.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906, 


THE    BABYLONIAN    GODS    OF    WAR 
AND    THEIR  LECrENDS. 

By  Theophilus  G.  Pinches,  LL.D. 

{Confiiuied from  p.  218.) 

The  legends  of  the  god  Nirig  or  Enu-restu  are  two  in  number^ 
both  bilingual,  and  of  the  nature  of  hymns  in  his  praise.  The  first  is 
entitled  Ana-gim  gima,  'Formed  like  Anu,'  and  the  second,  Lugale 
ltd  inelama-bi  nirgal,  '  The  king,  when  his  princely  splendour.'  Both 
these  have  been  excellently  published  and  translated  by  Dr.  Fried, 
Hrozn^',  who,  as  has  already  been  remarked,  makes  some  excellent 
suggestions  as  to  the  true  reading  of  the  name  of  this  god. 

The  shorter  legend  is  inscribed  on  four  tablets,  very  neatly  written,, 
and  provided  with  ruled  borders  to  give  them  a  finish.  None  of  them: 
are  complete. 

The  first  is  of  the  nature  of  a  hymn  in  praise  of  the  god, 
describing  him  as  being  in  the  form  of  Anu  and  Bel,  as  the  giant  of 
the  Anunnaki,  who  is  clothed  with  awesome  fearfulness,  and  as  the 
son  of  Bel.  In  his  anger  he  destroys  the  gods  of  the  hostile 
lands,  etc. 

The  second  tablet  is  in  a  better  condition,  though  still  incomplete, 
being  the  lower  part  of  the  obverse  and  the  upper  part  of  the  reverse. 
It  began  by  describing  the  god  as  riding  in  a  chariot  of  lapis-lazuli — 
that  stone  whose  beauty  had  early  captivated  the  Babylonians,  so  that 
they  regarded  it  as  being  the  most  suitable  material  for  the  things 
needed  by  a  god  or  hero.  After  a  gap,  we  learn  that  Anu  gave  to 
Nirig,  as  a  gift,  terrible  magnificence  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  whereof 
the  dreadful  news  was  received  by  the  iiamrii  (translated  '  whale '  by 
Hrozny)  in  the  ocean,  and  it  was  said  that  the  Anunnaki,  the  great 
gods,  did  not  on  that  account  attack  him. 

'  The  {royal)  lord  like  a  storwflood  ruslied past — 
Xirig,  destroyer  of  t/ie  defence  of  the  hostile  land,  rushed  like  a  storm- 
flood  fast. 

270 


Dec.   12]  THE  BABYLONIAN  c;ODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

Like  a  storm  he  thundered  i?i  the  foundation  of  heaven, 

Set ti fig  his  course,  by  the  command  of  Bel,  to  E-kur — 

A  hero  of  the  gods,  overthrowing  the  land — 

To  the  city  Nippur,  unapproachable  from  afar. 

Nusku,  the  sublime  messenger  of  Bel,  went  to  .meet  him  in  E-kur, 

Greeting  lord  Nirig  zuith  '■peace  '  .•  -■"' 

'  Lord,-^  thou  art  hero,  thou  art  perfect,  thine  intention  is  thine  own — 

Nirig,  thou  art  hero,  thou  art  perfect,  thine  intention  is  thine  ozvn, 

The  fear  of  thy  splendour  has  covered  BeVs  house  like  a  garment. 

As  to  thy  chariot,  at  the  sound  of  its  thundering. 

In  thy  course  tremble  heaven  and  earth — 

At  the  raising  of  thine  arm  a  shadoiv  extends. 

The  Anufinaki,  the  great  gods,  tremble  even  to  the  horizon. 

Terrify  not  thy  father  in  his  dwelling-place — 

Terrify  not  Bel  in  his  dwelling-place. 

Make  not  the  Anumiaki  tremble  in  the  seat  of  Ubsukenaku. 

Let  thy  father  give  thee  a  gift  for  thine  lieroic  arm. 

Let  Bel  give  thee  a  gift  for  thine  heroic  arm.'' 

Mighty  king  Ann,  chief  of  the  gods, 

BePs  prince  ;  ~~  the  living  creatures  of  E-kur, 

O  hero  of  the  mountains,  7vho  slayest. 

Send  then  not  one  single  god  [.?  to  destroy  tJicni\ — 

\IIero  of  the  mountains\  who  slayest. 

Send  them  [not  one  single ' 

The  third  tablet  is  a  similar  fragment,  containing  the  middle 
portion  of  the  text — the  lower  part  of  the  obverse  and  the  upper  part 
of  the  reverse.  It  seems  to  begin  by  referring  to  some  beings, 
divine  or  human,  who,  like  birds,  would  retire  behind  their  defences, 


'•'  Lit.  :  "  He  speaks  to  Lord  Nirig  '  Peace.'" 

-^  In  the  Sumero-Akkadian  version  "  My  king." 

-'  In  Sumero-Akkadian  >^Jjj[  \,  translated,  in  the  Semitic  line  (according 
to  Hrozny)  by  ^^^  t^f  J^,  which  he  transcribes  """''  sa  hiitari,  "sceptre- 
bearer,"  here  as  a  title  of  Bel,  whose  name  foUoWs.  Instead  of  ^^^  t^f  >rp, 
I  thought  I  saw,  on  the  original,  f:* J  ]>:  ■'i'^-^  gp,  n-ma-aS,  construct  of  ni/iaxii, 
"  prince,"  "  hero,"  or  something  similar — a  synonym  of  i'diu,  one  of  the  meanings 
of  ^IIl  when  pronounced  iiics.  I  regard  the  second  character  as  being  part  of 
^y,  but  all  three  are  doubtful.  The  Babylonians  called  Ochos  (Artaxerxes  III.) 
Uiiiasu  (see  the  Proceedings,  Vol.  VI,  202  ff) — is  this  a  variant  of  the  word? 

27T  Y 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCH.4':OLOGV.  [1906. 

seemingly  at  Nirig's    approach.     'Who   can    make   head,'  he   says, 
'  against  my  fearful  magnificence,  which  is  mighty  like  Anu  ? ' 

'  I  avi  lord,  the  pointed  moiintairis  have  taken  refuge  at  the  horizoft — 

The  mountain  of  li7?iestone,  chalcedo7i\\  and  lapis-lazuli  fills  my  hand. 

The  Anunnaki  have  1^1  shed  like  wild  swine  into  the  clefts  ; 

In  the  mountains  I  wreaked  vengeance  for  my  heroic  arm. 

In  my  right  hand  I  hear  aloft  Sar-ur  ; 

In  my  left  I  bear  aloft  Sar-gaza. 

I  bear  aloft  Udkaninnu,  the  weapon  of  my  Anuship  : 

I  bear  aloft  the  hero,  the  destroyer  of  the  mountains,  my  Udbanuila  ; 

/  bear  aloft  the  7veapo?i   which  eateth    the   corpses  like  a  dragon — 

the  mir-siliga 
I  bear  aloft  the  destroyer  of  the  vioimtains,  the  heavy  weapon  of  Anu. 
I  bear  aloft  the  siibduer  of  the  mountains,  the  fish  whose  fins  are  seven. 
I  bear  aloft  the  ivild  cow  of  battle,  a  snare  for  the  hostile  land, 
[bear  aloft  the  cutter  of  necks,  the  sword,  the  dagger  of  my  Anuship. 
I  bear  aloft  that  from  zvhich  no  ?no7intain  hath  escaped,  the  battle-net. 
I  bear  aloft  the  helper  of  heroes,  the  long  bow,  as  arm  of  battle. 
I  bear  aloft  the  girdle  ivhich  fitteth  a  ma?i,  the  bow  of  the  stormflood. 
I  bear  aloft  the  conqueror  of  the  house  of  a  hostile  land,  the  bow  and 

the  shield. 
I  bear  aloft  the  stormflood  of  battle,    GIS-KU-sag-ninnu    (i.e.,    the 

iveapon  with  fifty  lieads). 
I  bear  aloft  that  7vhich,   like   the  great  setpent,   hath  srcen  heads, 

dealing  death,  Gis-ga-sag-imina. 
I  bear  aloft  that  whose  face,  like  the  serpent-dragon,  of  the  sea,  putteth 

to  flight  the  enemy,  the  overthrower  of  the  fierce  battle,  the  strong 

one  in  heaven  and  earth,  GIS-KU-sag-ia  (i.e.,  the  weapon  with 

five  heads). 
I  bear  aloft  him  who,  like  the  day,  sendeth  forth  light,  Kura-su-ur-ur.-*^ 
I  bear  aloft  the  consolidator  of  heaven  and  earth,  Erim-a-bi-nu-tuga. 
/  bear  aloft  the  weapon  zvhose  fearful  splendour  [overthrowet/i\  the 

land,  in  my  right  hand  greatly  iised,  standing  forth  for  admira- 
tion in  gold  and  lapis-lazuli,  Igi-kim-tila. 
/  bear  aloft  the  weapo7i  which^  like  the  Fire-god,  co?isutneth  the  hostile 

land,  GIS-K.U-sag-ninnCi  (i.e.,  the  tveapon  with  fifty  heads'). 

Here  the  text  breaks  off,  but  in  all  probability  it  continued,  with 
references  to  other  wonderful  weapons  and  devices  for  overthrowing 

38  <<  p^g  ^^.j^Q  niaketh  the  mountain  to  tremble." 
272 


Dec.  I2:j  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

the  enemies  of  the  gods,  of  himself,  and  of  Babylonia,  especially  the 
city  where  the  seat  of  his  worship  was.  I  have  translated  it  in  full  in 
order  to  show  how  fertile  was  the  fancy  of  the  Babylonians  in  such 
things.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  in  the  Sumero-Akkadian  lines  there 
is  a  slight  variation  from  the  Semitic  text,  namely,  the  addition  of 
the  word  mu,  'my,'  after  the  names  of  the  emblems  and  weapons 
enumerated  :   Gis-kii-sag-tiinnii-mu,  '■my  weapon  with  fifty  heads,'  etc. 

The  final  tablet  of  this  series  is  contained  on  three  pieces,  all 
more  or  less  fragmentary.  The  text  is  fairly  well  preserved,  and 
though  the  pieces  do  not  join,  two  of  them  are  duplicates,  so  that 
a  portion  of  the  inscription  receives  completions  which  we  should  not 
otherwise  possess. 

Where  the  tablet  opens,  Nirig  is  to  all  appearance  still  describing 
his  own  glories :  he  is  the  king  who,  like  Anu,  has  the  day  in  his 
power ;  the  mighty  one,  Bel's  stormflood,  who  is  not  met  with  in  the 
mountains. 

'  Lo?-d  Nirig  am  I — at  the  invocation  of  my  name  shall  boiv  down 
The  supreme  powers^   the  brilliance  of  the  labu,    whom  Bel  in  his 

strength  hath  begotten. 
Since  Ami,  the  mightiest  of  the  gods — 
King  Ami  in  his  great  strength  I  saw,  eveti  I, 
Have  I  been  the  tveapon  destroying  the  lofty  mountains  which  is  used 

for  royal  dignity."^ 
The  mighty  power  of  battle,  the  living  creature  of  I  star,  am  I ; 
The  hero,  who  by  the  decision  of  Ea  (or  Aa),  goeth  to  the  fierce  fight, 

am  I — 
Let  my  dominion  to  the  boundary  of  heaven  and  earth  shine  forth. 
The  mighty  one  of  the  gods  am  I,  with  splendour  let  me  be  clothed. 
Beloved  city,  house  of  Nippur,  may  thine  head^^  [be  higK\  like  heaven. 
O  my  city.     In  the  city  of  my  brothers  let  [me  be'\  chief '^^ 
O  my  temple.     In  the  tetnple  of  my  brothers  [let  me  be  chiefs 
.  .  .  my  city  is  the  well  of  water 

-'  Nai)i-higal-la  dii>n-inc-en.  The  ma  after  ditiii,  which  Hiozny  gives  in 
Italics,  has  been  erased  by  the  scribe. 

'^  The  word  for  head  was  ^^Li^,  traces  of  which,  and  not  of  5^^^,  are 
clear  on  the  broken  edge. 

"'^  Not  >^^?I,  but  quite  clearly  „^lj^,  followed  by  another  character. 
The  group  may  have  been  ^^Lif^  ^I*~'  S^^'^^^'^  —  asaredu  and  gugalhi,  "  eldest," 
"chief." 

273  Y    2 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Here  comes  a  gap,  followed  by  some  imperfect  lines,  and  then 
the  text  continues  : — 

The  herds  brilliant  \iivords\ 

Nirigs  gracious  [s/>eech], 

Nin-kar-7iunna  heard. 

To  lord  Nirig  stepped  she  then  and  spoke  to  him  a  prayer : — 

'  Lord,  in  thy  city,  which  thou  lovest,  may  thine  heart  take  rest, 

Lord  Nirig,  in  thy  city,  which  thou  lovest,  may  thine  heart  take  rest. 

In  the  temple  of  Nippur,  thy  city  which  thou  lovest,  may  thine  heart 

take  rest. 
When  E-si(-7ne-du,  the  seat  of  thine  heart's  delight,  with  Joy  thou 

enterest, 
To  thy  consort,  the  handmaid  Nin-Nibri, 
What  is  iti  thine  heart  tell  her,  what  is  in  thy  mind  tell  her. 
Tell  her  the  gracious  words  of  the  king  for  j-emote  days.'' 
{She)    7vho    {as)    the    offspring   of   the   prifice    was   brought  forth, 

Nin-ka  r-n  un  na, 
Then  from  the  mouth  of  a  7}ictim^^ 
Amidst  offerings  "'■"  sprinkled  water  of  healing. 
Wheti  he  had  spoken  in  fullness  .... 
ILis  C07mtia7id  for  future  days  [?  he  set  fir77i,  a7id'\ 
Went  (?)  to  E-su-me-du  i7i  glory  (?).  '^^ 
The  heart  of  Nirig  was  pleased — 
*  Lord  Nirig  looked  up07i  her  with  favoiir — 
Upon  his  consort,  the  ha7id77iaid  Ni7i-Nibri. 

He  told  her  what  was  in  his  heart,  he  told  her  what  was  171  his  77iind, 
He  told  her  the  gracious  ivords  of  the  ki7ig  for  remote  {days). 
The  hero,  whose  herois/n  shi7icth  forth, 
Nirig,  the  so7i  of  Bel — 

His  supre7nacy  fro77i  the  house  of  Bel  filleth  the  earth. 
The  lord,  destroyer  of  the  mountains,  who  hath  710  rival, 

^-  Hrozn^  :  "  aus  dem  Munde  des  Ausgiessens."  Niqit  means  not  only 
"libation,"  but  also  " sacrifice,"  "victim." 

="  ^yyy  X^  ^-m,  4f<T  ^Ty'  ^^^-^^  kat-rl-e.  The  Sumero- Akkadian, 
however,  has  ^  '^TTTyI'  'S'P^^^  "that  which  is  pregnant,"  as  the  equivalent  of 
katrc,  hence  Hrozny's  suggestion  that  the  meaning  is  vulva.  Perhaps  the  idea 
of  "  bringing  forth  "  has  developed  into  that  of  "  offering  as  a  gift." 

'•"^  The  traces  seem  to  be  those  of  ^y  ^YT^ '  Su-piS,  an  adverbial  form  from 
Siip/i,  **  to  beatn  forth."  Hrozny  suggests  a  form  of  this  root,  and  my  revision 
confirms  his  restoration  of  the  non-Semitic  version. 

274 


Dec.  12]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

Hath  fiercely  let  loose  his  sublime  battle — 

The  hero  in  his  strength  rusheth  past. 

O  Nirig,  sublime  son  of  E-kirr, 

Prince  0/  the  father  thy  begetter,  thy  glory  is  supreme. 

Here  comes  the  colophon  : 

Tablet  IV of  ^Formed  like  Ajw,'  to  its  conclusion. 

Palace  of  Assur-bani-apli,  king  of  the  zvorld,  ki?ig  of  Assyria. 

To  all  appearance  this  text  is  merely  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
how  Nirig  became  one  of  the  gods  of  E-kur  in  Nippur,  along  with 
his  father  Bel.  The  part  in  which  he  is  requested  not  to  disturb  his 
father  Bel  in  E-kur  \vith  the  noise  of  his  chariot  is  curious,  not  to  say 
amusing.  Was  it  because  of  the  noise  he  made  that  he  was  admitted 
as  one  of  the  gods  of  Nippur?  In  any  case,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  a  deity  with  so  many  dreadful  weapons  and  terrifying  things 
was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  gods  of  war,  and  honoured  accordingly. 
As  will  have  been  noticed,  Nin-Nib?-i  or  Bl'lit  Nippuri  was  regarded 
as  his  consort,  from  whom,  if  the  text  be  understood  aright,  Nirig  had 
apparently  become  estranged,  and  was  reconciled  to  her  by  the 
intervention  of  his  attendant,  Nin-kar-nunna. 

One  point  in  the  enumeration  of  Nirig's  many  weapons  and  divine 
emblems  is  noteworthy,  namely,  the  reference  to  the  bow  of  the 
stormflood,  gis-ban  a-ma-gur,  Semitic  qastJi  {abubi).  This  suggests 
some  connection  with  the  rainbow,  symbolized,  in  the  story  of  the 
flood,  by  means  of  Istar's  sacred  necklace.  The  reference  to  the 
stormflood  of  battle  points  to  another  symbolical  use  of  the  term,  in 
which  an  invading  army  is  likened  to  a  destroying  inundation.  The 
description  of  Nirig  as  the  mighty  one,  Bel's  stormflood,  who  is  not 
met  with  in  the  mountains,  calls  to  mind  the  explanation  of  their 
defeat  given  by  the  Syrians,  on  the  ground  that  the  Israelites'  god 
was  a  god  of  the  hills,  on  which  account  the  latter  was  the  stronger 
of  the  two.-^^  Nirig  was  a  god  of  this  kind ;  he  could  not  be  met 
(i.e.,  resisted)  in  the  mountains,  and  it  may  be  that,  as  he  was,  before 
the  entry  of  the  Israelites,  the  god  of  one  of  the  districts  near 
Jerusalem,  if  not  of  Jerusalem  itself,  the  Syrians  identified  the  God 
of  the  Hebrews  with  him.  The  result  of  the  encounter  in  the  plain 
was  disastrous    to   the   Syrians,  who,-  it  will    be   remembered,  were 

"■'  I  Kings,  XX,  23. 

275 


Dfx.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 

defeated  by  the  Israelites  at  Aphek.  As  Babylonia  itself  consisted  of 
an  immense  plain,  the  inhabitants  would,  in  all  probability,  if  asked, 
have  denied  that  Nirig,  their  war-god  of  the  hills,  could  not  have 
aided  them  in  the  defence  of  their  fatherland,  in  one  of  the  chief  of 
whose  cities  he  had  his  seat. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  of  the  interesting  legends,  or  texts  of 
that  nature,  on  my  list.  This  is  the  legend  entitled  '  The  king,  when 
his  glorious  splendour  (streamed  over  the  land' — or  something 
similar).  The  first  fragment  in  order,  according  to  Hrozny's  publi- 
cation, speaks  of  the  Tigris,  and  mentions  the  time  when  the  Idiglat 
(=  Hiddekel,  its  early  Semitic  name)  'was  troubled,  dammed  up, 
disturbed,  and  weakened,'  a  statement  which  recalls  the  fact  that  the 
sister-stream,  the  Euphrates,  was  treated  in  the  same  way  by  Cyrus 
when  he  captured  Babylon  (according  to  the  Greek  historians). 
Both  Herodotus  and  the  Babylonian  inscriptions  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
testify  that  the  Babylonians  had  for  a  long  time  been  nervous  on  that 
score,  and  the  inhabitants  of  cities  on  the  Tigris  would  seem  to  have 
had  the  same  feeling  with  regard  to  the  stream  which  then,  as  now, 
was  the  life  of  the  city  through  which  it  flowed.  The  next  tablet 
is  apparently  wanting,  but  the  colophon  of  this  fragment,  which  gives 
the  first  line,  refers  to  some  deity  who  '  came  forth  from  E-gir  (the 
temple  of  the  sword)  and  went  to  battle.' 

What  the  gap  may  be  between  this  and  the  next  is  not  known, 
but  as  the  tablet  which  follows  is  given  as  the  eleventh  of  the  series, 
the  amount  wanting  must  be  considerable. 

This  section  refers  to  Nirig  and  the  stones  used  in  making  statues, 
bas-reliefs,  and  seals,  whose  fates  he  decided.  The  first  referred  to  is 
the  dolerite,  and  this  portion  contains  a  distinct  reference  to  the 
statues  in  that  material  in  E-ninnu,  the  temple  of  Lagas,  the  unnamed 
king  referred  to  being  either  Gudea  or  one  of  his  dynasty.  Notwith- 
standing that  this  passage  is  exceedingly  mutilated,  I  give  such  a 
translation  as  is  at  present  possible,  on  account  of  its  historical 
interest : — 

'  T/ie  lord  stood  by  the  dolerite — 
Like  a  reed  in  the  vionntain  [?  alone  he  stood'] — 
Nirig^  the  lord,  the  so?i  of  Bel,  decided  its  fate  : 
'  Dolerite,  who  in  my  battle  [?  remainedst  inactive]. 
Like  heavy  smoke  \ivhich  doth  not  move], 
Thou  raisedst  7iot  thine  arm  \to  help  me] — 

276 


Dec.  12]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

I7t  the  rebellions  the  lord  alone  [thou  leftest\ 
^ Nirig,  lord,  son  0/ Bel,  ivho  is  like  utito  [thee?]  .  .  . 
Fro}7i  the  lofty  niojintain  may  it  .  .  , 
From  the  mountain  of  Makkan  may  it  [be  brought}]. 
Thou  [euttest?]  the  copper,  which  is  strong,  like  skin  J 
*•  I  am  lord,  for  my  heroic  arm  [art  thou]  greatly  [suited.] 
The  king  who  setteth  his  name  that  it  may  live  to  remote  days^ 
Who  carve  th  his  image  for  future  times, 
In  E-ninnu,  the  temple  which  is  full  of  delight, 
May   he    [set]    thee   at  the  place   of  water-drinking (f)  .  .  .  as   an 

adornment.' 
The  lord  [assumed  the  form]  of  the  stone, 
[He  entered]  the  body  of  the  stone  tablet  Q). 
Nirig,  the  lord,  the  son  of  Bel,  pronou?iced  a  curse  : 

*  As  it  ivere  a  stone  {am)  I 

Stone,  tvhich  in  my  battle  [refusedst]  to  take  part. 

Thou,  in  thine  acts,  mayest  thou  lie  down  like  a  swine. 

Be  throivn  down,  and  be  not  used  for  work — end  in  becomitig  small : 

May  he  who  knoweth  thee  return  thee  to  the  %vater.' 

The  {kingly)  lord  stood  by  the  slzWu-stone, 

Nirig,  the  lord,  the  son  of  Bel,  decided  its  fate  : 

*  [Jf]  thou  art  an  enemy  of  the  understanding  man,  mayest  thou  for 

fear  of  me  fall  down. 

Reverse. 

In  hostile  land  as  in  {this)  land  mayest  thou  proclaitn  my  name. 

In  thy  well-being  thou  shall  not  be  reduced — 

May  thy  greatness  hinder  belittling. 

May  my  command  work  good  in  thy  body. 

In  the  clash  of  weapons,  hero,  wliom  thou  killest,  gloriously  end  ; 

In  the  great  court,  the  plain  {of  burial)  mayest  thou  found  ; 

May  the  land  favourably  regard  thee  and  cause  thee  to  be  an  ho?iour.' 

The  lord  stood  by  the  '  mountain-stone,' 

For  its  power  he  speaketh, 

Nirig,  the  son  of  Bel,  decideth  its  fate  : 

*  Glorio2is  hero,  the  beaming  of  the  light  of  ivhose  eye  is  directed  on 

{all)  sides — 
^Mountain-stone^  who  in  the  hostile  land  a  mighty  cry  hast  caused^ 
Victoriously  my  hand  did  not  seize  it — 

277 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCM.tOLOGV.  [1906. 

]]'itk  the  unworthy  have  1 7iof  thro7vii  it. 

At  the  feet  of  th\  people  thou  shalt  ?wt  be  poured  out. 

Let  the  connnand  0/  the  su?i-god  be  thy  coiniuand — 

Guide  thou  the  lauds  like  a  Judge. 

The  tvise  one,  he  who  knoweth  every  tiling, 

Let  him  treasuj-c  thee  like  gold. 

O  hero,  whoin  I  have  gi-asped,  /  lay  7iot  doivn  to  rest  until  I  gave  thee 

life. 
Noii\  by  the  fates  of  Nirig, 
Lt  is  said:  ''There  are  days  in  the  land,   the  niountaifi-stone  lives' 

Let  it  be  thus. 

Naturally,  if  my  supposition  that  the  portion  referring  to  dolerite 
was  written  as  it  here  stands  in  consequence  of  the  statues  of  that 
material  which  were  set  up  at  Lagas  (the  stone  is  expressly  stated  by 
Gudea,  as  here,  to  have  come  from  Makkan)  be  correct,  that  circum- 
stance has  a  certain  amount  of  importance,  as  it  would  fix  the  date  of 
the  composition  of  the  legend  as  being  not  earlier  than  2700  years 
P..C.,  or  thereabouts.  More  material  is  required  before  this  can  be 
stated  as  a  fact — -at  present  it  can  onl}-  be  given  as  a  note-worthy 
probability. 

From  the  brilliance  of  the  'mountain-stone,'  it  is  not  improbable 
that  it  was  the  name,  or  one  of  the  names,  of  the  diamond.  Like 
the  diamond,  '  the  light  of  its  eye '  is  said  to  have  been  directed  on 
all  sides.  The  stone  in  question  was  apparently  regarded  as  similar 
to  the  sun-god  in  the  possession  of  a  command,  and  it  imitated  him 
also  in  its  guidance  of  the  lands  like  a  judge,  apparently  because  its 
rays,  like  those  of  the  great  orb  of  day,  penetrated  everywhere.  How 
precious  it  was  in  the  eyes  of  Nirig,  who  conceived  it,  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  he  is  said  not  to  have  rested  until  he  had  brought 
it  into  existence.  By  Nirig's  fates,  according  to  the  inscription,  it 
was  said  that  there  were  days  in  the  land  because  the  '  mountain- 
stone  '  lived,  implying  that  its  brightness  imitated  that  of  the  sun,  the 
orb  of  day.  The  word  '  mountain-stone '  reminds  us  that  the  greatest 
diamond  of  modern  times  is  known  by  the  Persian  name  of  Koh-i-Nur, 
'  the  mountain  of  Light,'  but  the  Babylonian  name  may  have  origi- 
nated in  a  different  wa)'.  The  Sumero-Akkadian  name  is  za  ka  (or, 
efiima)-gina,  'the  stone  of  the  faithful  saying.'  This  may  have  a 
bearing  upon  the  name  of  one  of  the  earliest  viceroys  of  Lagas, 
Uru-ka  (or,  enima)-gitia,  whose  name  might  then  mean,  instead  of 

278 


Dec.  12]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

'City   of    the    faithful    saying,'    'Diamond-city,'   or,    '(He   of   the) 
Diamond-city.' 

The  twelfth  tablet  is  preserved  only  in  a  small  fragment,  belonging 
to  the  Royal  Museum  of  Berlin,  which  originally  formed  a  part  of  the 
library  of  tablets  kept  at  Borsippa,  the  modern  Birs-Nimroud.  It 
is  published  by  Abel  and  Winckler  in  their  Keilschrifttexte,  p.  50  f. 
See  also  Hommel's  Sumerische  Lesestiicke,  pp.  122-125,  It  has  the 
beginning  and  the  end  of  the  section  with  which  it  was  inscribed : — 

'  The  hero  stood  by  the  aladaster, 

Nirig,  the  lord,  the  so?i.  of  Bel,  decided  for  it  the  fate  : 
'  Alabaster,  whose  body  is  brilliant  like  the  day — 
Purified  silver,  O  hero,  ivhich  for  the  palace  is  adorned, 
Thy  hand  alone  hath  not  held. 
In  thy  mountain  mayest  thou  lie  on  the  ground. 
With  the  weapo?i  have  I  not  smitten  thee — let  my  power  enter — 
. '  The  gracious  place '  ^^  let  thy  7ia?7ie  be  called. 
Mayest  thou  be  the  adviser  of  the  Anumiaki,  the  great  gods. 
Alabaster,  be  thou  placed  as  a  decoration  in  the  temple  of  the  great 

gods' 
The  hero  stood  by  the  algamisu"'"  stone,  and  looked  at  it  in  displeasure. 
The  lord  speaketh  angrily  a  word  in  the  lafid — 
Nirig,  the  son  of  Bel,  curseth  it  : 
'  As  thou  wast  a  hindrance  to  my  course. 
Going  in  front  among  the  shieldbearers^^^ 
For  whatever  may  be  thy  working,  raise  the  head. 
Let  its  name  be  called  '  Algamisu,  the  offering  of  the  storm,  i?i  its 

rising.' '^'■^ 
The  lord^^  stood  by  the  <l\x9<\x-stone. 
Speaking  to  the  hulalu,  the  grey  stofie,  and  the  lapis-laziili. 

(The  remainder  of  the  obverse  is  lost,  as  well  as  the  upper  part  of 
the  reverse.) 

^^  Probably  a  play  upon   the  granting  of  grace  by  Nirig  to  the  stone,  as 
suggested  by  Hrozny. 

^''  Hebrew  ^'''QJl'pX »  "crystal."     {YiomxatX,  Proceedings,  1893,  p.  293.) 

^^  KiSkattt,  a  doubtful  word. 

^^  This  would  seem  to  point  to  a  meteoric  stone — meteoric  haematite  or  iron- 
stone. 

**  The  Sumero-Akkadian  version  has  "  Afy  king." 

279 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Reverse. 

The  lands  in 

T/ie  lord  ^  stood  by  the  mnu-stone,  and  \looked  at  it  in  displeastcre\. 
The  lord  speaketh  angrily  a  word  to  the  land — 
Nirig,  the  lord,  the  son  of  Bel,  curseth  it  : 

'  ]Voe,  surru^i  of  the  sun-god 

To  him  who  seeketh  thee  the  hor?i  may  he  win  from  thee,  atid  be  thou 

added  to  the  precious  things ; 
For  thy  being  ignoble  thou  settest  thyself  i^). 
As  a  helmet  {or  a  garment)  is  cut  to  shape,  may  a  ma7i  i7iake  thee 

dijninish  ; 
May  the  coppersmith  be  set  upon  thee,  and  crush  (?)  thee  with  a  pestle. 
The  hero  who  brought  thy  body  (Yit.,  fesh)  froju  afi  opponent — 
The  smith,  tvhose  ivork  one  calleth  beautiful — 
May  he  kill  thee  like  death,  and  grind  thee  like  a  mill^~  (?).' " 

Here  this  tablet  comes  to  an  end.  The  first  line  of  the  next 
tablet,  given  in  the  catchline,  is : 

'  The  hero  stood  by  the  immana-J"A?;?(?.' 

In  the  above,  I  have  rendered  gis-nu-gal hy  'alabaster,'  following 
Hrozny.  Formerly  I  thought  I  had  evidence  that  gis-nu-gal  was 
'white  limestone,'  which  the  Babylonians  may  have  regarded  as  being 
quite  as  good  as  alabaster  for  decorative  purposes.  With  regard  to 
the  gir-gu-gal  =  Semitic  Babylonian  surru,  as  it  was  a  stone  which  was 
to  be  destroyed  and  crushed,  corundum,  or  something  similar,  would 
probably  be  nearer  the  mark,  especially  as  na  gir-gu-gal  may  be 
translated  "  the  stone  of  the  great  etching  point." 

Three  more  fragments  remain,  and  are  exceedingly  imperfect. 
The  pronouncement  of  the  fates  of  the  stones  by  the  god  Nirig 
continues,  however,  throughout  them  all.  It  is  needless  to  say,  that 
this  series  is  of  considerable  value,  not  only  for  the  legend  of  the 
blessing  and  cursing  of  the  stones  which  it  contains,  but  also  for  the 

*^  Compare  Hebrew  -y^,  "flint"  (Hommel,  Siiiiier.  Lcsest.,  123,  footnote), 
and  -^'i^',   "rock."     Hrozny  translates  "  chalcedony." 

■*-  The  original  has  the  Babylonian  form  of  ^'^i^  .  which,  it  may  be 
noted,  seems  lo  have  nothing  to  do  with  J*^5^  (compare  W.A.I.  II,  30,  70-786' 
with    <::2^T   "-tH   .Jlc^y    ^"^   '"  >'»e  78/;). 

280 


Dec.  12]  THE  BABYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

descriptions  of  those  stones,  and  the  references  to  their  fates,  implying 
their  uses,  and  sometimes  the  method  of  their  working.  The  com- 
pletion of  the  series  will  be  of  the  utmost  importance,  not  only 
philologically,  but  also  from  an  antiquarian  point  of  view. 

As  an  appendix  to  the  texts  already  described  and  translated,  I 
give  here  a  rendering  of  one  which  Hrozny  does  not  regard  as  be- 
longing to  the  series  entitled  'The  king,  when  his  subhme  glory 
(?  enlightened  the  land),'  but  which,  nevertheless,  may  have  been 
added  to  it.  Nothwithstanding  its  larger  form,  I  used  to  regard  this 
tablet  as  belonging  to  the  first  legend,  in  consequence  of  the  elegant 
style  in  which  it  was  written — the  beauty  of  the  series  referring  to 
Nirig  found  at  Nineveh  being  noteworthy. 


Obverse. 

1.  '  Toivering  high 

2.  The  might  of  the  labbu,  the  great  serpent^  becoming  great,  ^^  in- 

creasing in  the  inotintains. 

3.  Nirig,  the  royal  son,  ivhom  Bel  caused  to  be  greater  than  he 

himself  is  ^ — 

4.  Hero,  whose  net  overthroweth  the  enemy — 

5.  Nirig,  thy  fearful  shadoiv  is  stretched  out  over  the  country.  • 

6.  Angrily,  to  spoil  the  land  of  the  enemy,  he  collecteth  his  army. 

7.  Nirig,  the  royal  son,  whose  father  he  had  caused  to  bow  down  the 

face  to  him  from  afar, 

8.  When  he  sat  upon  the  throne  in  the  royal  chaj?iber,^^  when  he 

raised  on  high  his  spletidour, 

9.  Wheti  he  sat  joyfully  and  ividely  in  the  festival  instituted  for  him, 

10.  When  he  contended  with  Anu  and  Bel,  when  he  made  the  wine, 

1 1 .  When  Bau  offered  a  prayer  for  him  to  the  king, 

12.  When  Nirig,  the  lord,  the  son  of  Bel,  decided  the  fate, 

13.  Thefi  the  lord's  iveapon — his  ear  \set'\  in  the  mountain — 

14.  Sar-ur,  to  lord  Nirig  spoke  : 

15.  ''Lord,  high  restingplace  in  all  the  land, 

16.  Nirig,  thy  command  is  not  changed 

*'  I  read  here  »-^y^   iJ\    V   ^N  +v'  "^^'^■^^^^^^c^^''- 
*•  Or,  'Whom  Bel  himself  caused  to  be  great.' 
^5  ^   ^t]}   t]   -4  paramahi. 
281 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHAEOLOGY.  [1906. 

Reverse. 

1 .  Lord  Afm  made  the  earth 

2.  To  Niri^s^,  the  fearless  hero,  the  asakku  {demoji  of  fever  ">)  [came  nof 

7iear\ 

3.  The  child  who  sat  not  to  the  nurse,   \cschewini^  the  strength  of 

milk, 

4.  TJie  lord  Jiot  knowing  the  progeny  of  t lie  father,  he  who  shattereth 

the  mountains, 

5.  The  mighty  hero,  in  whose  face  there  is  no  shame, 

6.  Nirig,  the  manly  one,  exalted,  who  i-ejoiceth  in  his  appea?-ance, 

7.  The  zuarrior  ivho  is  like  a  steer,  I  will  stand  by  his  side. 

8.  The  lord  who  is  gracious  to  his  city,  complaisant  to  his  mother, 
y.  Rode  upon  a  momitain,  scattered  seed. 

10.  Unanimously  proclaimed  the  plants  his  name  to  their  kingdom, 

1 1 .  Raising  his  horns  among  them  like  a  great  wild  ox. 

12.  The   ■ixx-stone,    the   asaridu-i'/^z/d',    the   dolerite,    the    wz-stone,    the 

'  mountain-stone,'  '^ 

13.  The  hero — alabaster  their  hero — plundered  the  cities  for  them. 

14.  hi  the  mountain  the  poison-tooth  coincth  forth,  and  it  trembleth. 

15.  His  arm  bowel h  down  its  city  on  high  to  the  ground. 

(I'he  remainder  is  wanting.) 

We  have  much  to  learn  ere  we  shall  understand  this  strange 
inscription,  with  its  reference  to  Nirig's  infancy,  to  his  graciousness,. 
and  to  his  being  regarded  as  a  king  among  the  plants,  whose  originator 
he  seems  to  have  been.  Here,  too,  he  is  again  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  various  stones,  one  of  them  being  described  as  the 
poison-tooth  (sinni  kusi)  coming  forth  on  the  mountain.  This,  of 
course,  is  only  thus  designated  on  account  of  its  shape — it  was- 
possibly  more  or  less  like  a  serpent's  fang,  as  is  the  inscribed  stone 
found  by  Sir  Edward  Durand  in  the  island  of  Bahrein,  which  was 
evidently  a  sacred  object.  In  this  connection  it  is  possible  that 
Nirig  was  regarded  as  the  god  of  meteors  and  shooting  stars,  as- 
is  suggested  on  p.  208.  That  he  was  one  of  the  gods  of  storms,, 
especially  when  accompanied  by  thunder,  is  suggested  not  only  by 
the  ideograph  practically  identifying  him  with  Rimmon  quoted  on 
p.  207,  but  also  by  the  reference  to  the  thundering  of  his  chariot,  and 

**  See  page  278. 
282 


Dec.  12]  THE  BAUYLONIAN  GODS  OF  WAR.  [1906. 

the  terror  caused  to  the  earth  and  to  the  gods — -even  to  his  father 
Bel — by  the  raising  of  his  arm,  as  is  stated  in  the  translation  on  p.  271. 

Equally  important  and  interesting,  also,  are  the  parallels  which 
may  be  made  between  this  last  text  and  the  story  of  Merodach,  as 
related  in  the  Babylonian  account  of  the  Creation.  Like  Nirig,  Bel 
may  be  said  to  have  caused  Merodach  to  be  greater  than  he  himself 
was  (p.  281,  line  3) ;  it  was  the  net  of  Merodach  which  overthrew  the 
Dragon  of  Chaos  (cp.  line  4)  ;  and  after  the  victory  Merodach,  like 
Nirig,  was  made  king  of  the  gods  in  the  royal  chamber  (line  8),  took 
part  in  the  festival  instituted  for  him  (compare  line  9),  competed 
successfully  with  Anu  and  Ea  (or  Aa)  in  the  matter  of  the  overthrow 
of  the  Dragon  of  Chaos  (line  10);  though  it  would  seem  that 
Merodach,  at  the  festival  instituted  for  him,  did  not  himself  make 
the  drink  which  was  used,  as  is  here  related  of  Nirig.  Merodach, 
too,  was  appointed  the  decider  of  fate  for  all  the  world  (as  it  is 
apparently  to  be  understood),  and  not,  as  the  wording  here  (in 
line  12)  presupposes,  on  one  occasion,  or  for  a  limited  time.  The 
parallelisms  in  this  portion  of  the  legends  of  Nirig  seem  to  be 
sufficiently  in  accord  with  those  in  the  story  of  Merodach  to  make  it 
probable  that  the  two  deities  were  in  some  way  related  and  identified 
— and,  in  fact,  we  know  that  all  the  principal  deities  were  identified 
with  Merodach  during  at  least  a  portion  of  the  Semitic  period, 
perhaps  reaching  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Hammurabi. 

There  are  many  imperfections  in  the  above  remarks  upon  the 
Babylonian  gods  of  War,  but  defective  though  this  paper  may  be,  it 
will  doubtless  prove  to  be  of  interest,  and  may  even  contain  some- 
thing new.  In  any  case,  I  have  fulfilled  the  task  which  I  had  set 
myself,  namely,  that  of  placing  before  the  learned  world  of  this 
country  some  account  of  what  is  being  done  with  our  tablets  by  the 
Assyriologists  of  the  continent  and  of  America.  For  the  legends  con- 
cerning Nirig,  I  am  much  indebted  to  Dr.  Fried.  Hrozny's  Siwierische- 
habylofiische  Mythen  von  de?n  Gotte  Ninrag  {Ni?nb),  whose  excellent 
edition  I  have  frequently  quoted  in  this  paper.  Whether  my  de- 
partures from  his  renderings  are  always  for  the  best  or  not,  time  alone 
can  decide. 


283 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


A    LEADEN    CHARM 
MADE   UNDER  THE   INFLUENCE   OF  SATURN. 

By    E.    J.    PiLCHER. 

This  Charm,  which  belongs  to  Mr.  Nash,  is  a  leaden  disk,  2|  ins. 
in  diameter,  and  about  §•  in.  thick.  It  was  dug  up  in  a  Cornish 
garden  some  years  ago,  having  apparently  been  deposited  there  for 
magical  purposes.  When  found  it  still  bore  traces  of  a  red  pigment 
with  which  it  had  been  coated  before  burial ;  but  this  had  not 
prevented  extensive  oxidation. 

The  disk  bears  on  both  sides  various  symbols  connected  with  the 
planet  Saturn.  According  to  the  Kabbalists,  the  emblems  of  Saturn, 
engraved  on  a  leaden  plate  under  a  fortunate  aspect  of  the  planet 
would  render  the  owner  confident  and  powerful,  and  ensure  him 
worldly  success.  But  in  an  unlucky  aspect  it  would  have  the 
opposite  effect :  it  would  cause  the  ruin  of  buildings,  blight  crops,  and 
cause  dissensions.  The  ancient  astrologers  looked  upon  the 
influence  of  Saturn  as  uniformly  bad.  Kabbalism,  in  accordance 
with  its  fundamental  principles,  attributed  good,  as  well  as  bad, 
influences  to  the  planet ;  but  even  then  the  bad  aspects  were  vastly 
more  frequent  than  the  good  ones  ;  so  that  a  talisman  of  Saturn  is 
more  likely  to  be  unlucky  than  otherwise.  In  the  present  instance 
the  inference  is  that  the  amulet  was  intended  to  be  malevolent ;  and 
the  leaden  disk  was  secretly  buried  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  ill- 
luck  to  a  neighbour. 

Obverse. 

As  the  planet  Saturn  dominates  the  third  sphere  of  the  Universe,^ 
the  names,  symbols,  &c.,  upon  this  disk  are  arranged  in  groups  of 
three ;  and  the  Magical  Square  is  placed  in  a  triangle. 


1  P.S.B.A.,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  no. 
284 


Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  Dec,  1906. 


■--^        A 


D/  i  \  > 


\ 


-I 

on 


v^v, 


^»'i 
-^'"S 

'^.z* 


> 


>^'«H  1^  --yii-t 


LEADEN    CHARM 
In  Mr.  W.  L.  Nash's  Collection- 


Dec.  12]  A  LEADEN  CHARM.  [1906. 

In  the  angles  of  the  triangle  are  the  words  ^b^  "TH  and  H^ 
{Ab  Hod  and  Jah).  The  letters  of  these,  taken  in  their  numerical 
values,  add  up  to  3,  9  and  15  respectively.  That  is  to  say,  the 
characteristic  numbers  of  the  Square,  which  is  composed  of  three 
columns,  involving  jiine  ciphers,  and  containing  the  sum  of  fifteen  in 
every  direction. 

On  the  sides  of  the  triangle  are  the  names  of  three  of  the 
principal  Angels  of  the  planet,  viz.,  Uriel,  Maimon,  and  Abumalith. 

Beneath  all  is  the  astronomical  symbol  of  the  planet    ^  . 

Reverse. 

The  reverse  of  the  medal  presents  three  "Signatures."  The  first 
is  that  of  Saturn,  accompanied  by  his  Hebrew  name  Shabbathai. 
The  second  is  the  Signature  of  the  planetary  Demon,  Zazel.  The 
third  is  that  of  the  Indwelling  Spirit,  Agiel. 

Below  the  Signatures  are  three  words  from  Exod.  xvi,  25,  Jn^tl^ 
pjirr^S  DVrr  "Sabbath  istheday  oftheLord";  thus  introducing 
Saturn's  Day,  and  also  the  Word  of  Power  niH^- 

At  the  base  of  all  we  have  "  Adonai  fj  Agla"  ;  or  the  planetary 
symbol  between  two  Words  of  Power. 

This  talisman,  therefore,  was  intended  to  contain  within  itself  all 
the  most  powerful  influences  of  the  planet  Saturn,  as  registered  by  the 
characteristic  words  and  symbols ;  and,  consequently,  it  was  made  of 
lead — the  Saturnine  metal. 


285 


Dec.  12]  SOCIETY  OF  BIBLICAL  ARCHEOLOGY.  [1906. 


The  Anniversary  Meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held 
on  Wednesday,  January  9th,  1907,  at  4.30  p.m.,  when  the 
following  Paper  will  be  read  : — 

Miss  M.  A.  Murray.— "St.  Menas  of  Alexandria." 

With  Lantern-slide  I/iustrations. 


286 


INDEX. 


"  Abab,"  the  mystic  name  of  the  cipher  4  . 
Abydos,  the  people  of... 
Amulet,  a  Hebrew,  against  disease   ... 
Ardistama  Inscriptions,  the    ... 
Assyrian  incantation  against  Ghosts,  an 


Vol. 

Page. 

..  XXVIII. 

"3 

..  XXVIII. 

29 

..  XXVIII. 

182 

..  XXVIII. 

134 

..  XXVIII. 

219 

B. 

Babylonian  gods  of  war,  the  ;  and  their  legends     ...         ...       XXVIII.     203,  270 

Baghdad  boil,  the,  mentioned  in  an  Assyrian  Astrological  Report  XXVIII.       78 

Bilingual  inscription  relating  to  Nergal 

"  Bow  of  the  storm-flood,"  one  of  the  god  Nirig's  weapons 

Burgh  Papyrus,  the     ... 

Bute,  goddess,  two  statuettes  of 

fragment  of  a  statue  of,  in  the  Museo  Civico  at  Mantua 

sometimes  figured  wearing  the  red  Crown  of  the  North 

an  ancient,  local,  form  of  Isis  ... 

sometimes  with  head  of  a  Lioness 

figure  of,  in  the  Copenhagen  Glyptothek 

frequently  called  "  Lady  of  the  North  " 

and  Nekheb  called  "  the  two  serpents  " 


XXVIII. 

213 

XXVIII. 

.275 

XXVIII. 

178 

XXVIII. 

201 

XXVIII. 

201 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

c. 

Charm,  a  leaden,  made  under  the  influence  of  Saturn        ...         ...  XXVIII.     284 

Chedor-laomer  Tablets,  the    ...         ...         ...         ...         ...       XXVIII.     193,241 

,,  ,,  ,,         translation  of  the  text        ...         ...       XXVIII.     197,241 

Chedor-laomer  of  the  Tablets  is  the  king  of  Elam  mentioned  in 

Genesis  xiv,  I       XXVIII 

Child  born  after  the  mother's  death  and  burial       ...         ...         ...  XXVIII 

Coptic  fragments,  at  Munich,  I         XXVIII 

II        XXVIII 

z 


193 
82 

137 

229 


288  SOCIETY    OF    BIBLICAL   ARCHEOLOGY. 

Vol.    Page. 
Crossed  arrows,     /\   ,  an  emblem  of  Neith  from  the  Isl  to  the 

IVth  dynasty        XXVIII.       71 

Culha,  city,  seat  of  worship  of  Nergal  XXVIII.     213 

Cuthean  Hymn  to  Nergal       XXVIII.     210 

D. 

Delta,  the  inhabitants  of,  different  from  those  of  Upper  Egypt    ...  XXVIII.  68 

,,      the  people  of,  conquered  by  Narmer,  king  of  Upper  Egypt  XXVIII.  69 

,,      pre-Menite  kings  of,  worshippers  of  Neith XXVIII.  70 

Demons,  marriage  of,  with  human  beings XXVIII.  82 

Den,  1st  dynasty  king  of  Upper  Egypt,  marries  Mer-Neilh  ...  XXVIII.  70 

Diseases  always  due  to  Demons,  in  Assyrian  belief  XXVIII.  81 

E. 

Egypt,   Lower,  originally  divided  into  a  number  of  petty  king- 
doms under  chieftains 
Egyptian  Ancient  History,  observations  on 
Egyptian  Civilization,  prehistoric  origin  of  ... 

^  ,,  originated    in   district   between   Heliopolis 

and  Abydos 
Egyptian  magic  wands,  Astrological  character  of  ... 
El-Hammam,  inscription  of  S-ankh-ka-Ra  from     ... 
El-H6sh,  Inscriptions  in  the  (juarries  of 

,,  ,,  Greek  letters  among  the  signs  of    ... 

,,  ,,  probably  of  the  time  of  Antoninus... 

,,  ,,  the  signs,  characters  not  arbitrary  marks  ... 

,,  ,,  division  of,  into  groups 

,,  ,,  note  on,  by  Prof.  Sayce 

Eme-lakhkha,  the  name  given  to  the  standard  dialect  of  Sumer  ... 
Eme-sal,  the  name  of  a  dialect  of  Sumer 
,,         means  "  the  woman's  dialect "' 
Epilepsy,  an  Arab  cure  for     . . . 
Eres-ki-gal,  goddess  of  the  Babylonian  underworld 

,,  her  espousal  with  Nergal 

Eri-Aku,  of  the  Chedor-laomer  Tablets,  is  the  Arioch,  king  of 

EUasar,  mentioned  in  Genesis,  xiv,  I   ... 
ErzerCim,  Hittite  inscription  from 
Eye  diseases,  Aral)  remedies  for 


XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

29 

XXVIII. 

29 

XXVIII. 

29 

XXVIII. 

33 

XXVIII. 

171 

XXVIII. 

17 

XXVIII. 

18 

XXVIII. 

19 

XXVIII. 

20 

XXVIII. 

20 

XXVIII. 

20 

XXVIII. 

194 

XXVIII. 

194 

XXVIII. 

195 

XXVIII. 

77 

XXVIII. 

215 

XXVIII. 

215 

XXVIII. 

193 

XXVIII. 

91 

XXVIII. 

83 

Vol.     Page. 
F. 

Fever,  an  Arab  cure  for  ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  XXVIII.     79,80 

Figures  found  near  the  South  Temple  at  Wad^  Haifa       XXVIII.     118 

Fire,  ordeal  by,  in  Arabia      XXVIII.       81 

Folk-lore,  the,  of  Mossoul,  I XXVIII.     76,97 


Ghosts,  an  Assyrian  incantation  against 
Greyhound,  a  form  of,  .sacred  to  the  god 
depicted  on  objects  from  Abydos 


H. 
Haau,  or  "  Fen-men,"  inhabitants  of  the  Delta  in  very  ear 
Ha-nebu,  the  same  as  the  Haau? 
Headache,  Assyrian  incantations  against 
Heliopolitan  people,  the 
Hetep,  a  Saite  princess,  marries  Narmer 

,,  ,,  perhaps  mother  of  Aha  (Menes). 

,,      her  name  on  tablets  found  at  Naqada 


..   XXVIII.     219 
..  XXVIII.     131 


ly  times  XXVIII. 

73 

...  XXVIII. 

73 

...  XXVIII. 

80 

...  XXVIII. 

29 

...  XXVIII. 

69 

...  XXVIII. 

69 

...  XXVIII. 

69 

accompanied  by  the  sign    '  ;^  "Princess  of  Sais," 


and  by  the  sign 


I    " 


Consort  of  the  Double  Dominion  "    XXVIII.       70 


Himyaritic  inscription,  the,  from  Jabal  Jehaf 
Hittite  inscription  (J.  Ii),  note  on     ... 

„     inscriptions  in  the  Constantinople  Museum 

„     seals  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum 

Hyksos  and  Hittites,  the,  their  national  deity  the  god    ^  V  ^  ^  XXVIII. 


..  XXVIII. 

143 

..  XXVIII. 

27 

..  XXVIII. 

91 

..   XXVIII. 

136 

Ivriz  texts,  the . 


J- 


Jaundice  attributed  to  the  "ahhazu"  demon 

Jonah  believed  to  be  buried  in  the  mosque  on  Nebi-Yunus 


XXVIII.    ir- 


XXVIII. 
XXVIII. 


77 


K. 


Kabbalistic  planetary  charms 
Karian  and  other  inscriptions... 


XXVIII.     no 
XXVIII.     172 


>90 


SOCIETY    OF    BIBLICAL   ARCH/EOLOGY. 


M. 

Magic  ivories,  the,  of  the  Middle  Empire,  III 

,,  „  date  of    ... 

,,  ,,  meaning  of  the  figures  on 

Magic  squares  ... 

Marriage  of  demons  with  human  beings 
Mer-Neith,  marries  Den,  king  of  Upper  Egypt 
Mesnawo,  name  found  in  Karian  inscriptions 
"  Mistress  of  the  Mediterranean,"  Neith  so  called  in  an  inscription 

of  the  time  of  Nectanebo 
Monarchy,  the  early,  of  Egypt  (Note  by  Mr.  Legge) 

N. 
Narmer,  king  of  Upper  Egypt,  conquers  the  Delta 

,,         marries  Hetep,  a  Saite  princess     ... 
Negadah,  Tablet  of     ... 

,,      discovered  by  M.  de  Morgan  in  1897 
,,      missing  fragment  of,  found  by  Mr.  Garstang    ... 
,,      description  of 
,,      meaning  of  the  scenes  on  ... 
,,       variants  of  the  formula  on 
,,      meaning  of  the  formula  on 
,,      summary  of  the  reading  of 
Neith,  the  chief  deity  of  Sais... 

,,      represented  wearing  the  same  crown  as  that  worn  by  the 
pre-Menite  kings  of  the  Delta 

,,      a  Delta  goddess 

,,      usually  described  as  of  Libyan  origin 

,,      her  name  on  monuments  of  the  earliest  period 

„      her  emblem  from  1st  to  IVlh  dynasty  was     ^(^  ,  or  an 

8-shaped  shield 
,,      her  emblems  in  the  IVih,  Vth  and  Vlth  dynasties 
,,      her   name,  from    the   XlXth  dynasty,   written   with    two 

forms  of  shuttle,  XI3^  or  x=X  ... 
,,      foundrcssof  Sais,  a  Greek  tradition  ... 
,,      identified  with  Pallas  Athene 
Nekheb,  the  Egyptian  goddess,  called  by  the  Greeks  Eilciihyia ... 
„  ,,  called  by  the  Romans  Lucina     ... 


Vol. 

Page. 

XXVIII. 

159 

XXVIII. 

165 

XXVIII. 

166 

XXVIII. 

III 

XXVIII. 

82 

XXVIII. 

70 

XXVIII. 

172 

XXVIII. 

7i 

XXVIII. 

14 

XXVIII. 

69 

XXVIII. 

69 

XXVIII. 

253 

XXVIII. 

253 

XXVIII. 

253 

XXVIII. 

254 

XXVIII. 

256 

XXVIII. 

260 

XXVIII. 

261 

XXVIII. 

263 

XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

70 

XXVIII. 

71 

XXVIII. 

71 

XXVIII. 

71 

XXVIII. 

71 

XXVIII. 

72 

XXVIII. 

74 

XXVIII. 

74 

XXVIII. 

202 

XXVIII. 

202 

INDEX. 


291 


Vol. 

Page. 

XXVIII. 

203 

XXVIII. 

213 

XXVIII. 

151 

XXVIII. 

151 

XXVIII. 

152 

XXVIII. 

152 

XXVIII. 

153 

XXVIII. 

205 

XXVIII. 

270 

XXVIII. 

270 

Nergal,  Babylonian  God  of  War 

,,       bilingualinscription  relating  to 
Nimrod,  throne  of,  Syriac  inscription  on     ... 
,,  ,,  ,,         translation  of 

„  „  ,,         palaeography  of       

,,  ,,  ,,         grammar  of 

,,  ,,  ,,         interpretation  of     ... 

Nirig  or  Enu-restu,  an  Assyro-Babylonian  deity 
,,  ,,  hymn  in  praise  of 

,,  ,,  four  tablets  relating  to  ... 

"  Northern  enemies,"  mentioned  on  a  figure  of  Khasekhem,  are 

probably  the  Semites  of  the  Delta         ...         ...         ...         ...  XXVIII. 

O. 

Ophthalmia,  an  Assyrian  receipt  for  cure  of 
Osiris,  the  great  god  of  Abydos 

,,     at  first  the  principal  deity  of  the  Egyptian  Empire 
Osiris  and  Horus,  relative  position  of 


Palanga,  Hittite  Inscription  from 

Pendant,  a  peculiar,  on  a  statue  of  Usertsen  III     ... 

Planetary  Charms  in  the  B.M.,  list  of 

Planets,  "  Signatures  "  of  the 

"  Priestess  of  Neith,"  a  title  borne  by  women  of  high  rank 

Pre-Sargonic  Times     ... 

Pschent,  the  name  of  the 


Rakka,  a  bronze  figure  from  ... 

Ra,  the  principal  deity  of  Heliopolis 


R. 


S. 


S-ankh-ka-Ra,  inscription  of 

Sahidic  Exodus  fragment,  the,  in  the  Zouche  collection   ... 

Sais,  to  what  race  did  the  people  of,  belong? 

,,    Neith  the  chief  deity  of. .. 

,,     a  chieftain  of,  becomes  king  of  Lower  Egypt 

,,    princesses  of,  worshippers  of  Neith 

,,    founded  by  Neith,  a  Greek  tradition  ... 


32 


XXVIII. 

77 

XXVIII. 

30 

XXVIII. 

30 

XXVIII. 

31 

XXVIII. 

93 

XXVIII. 

268 

XXVIII. 

"5 

XXVIII. 

no 

XXVIII. 

70 

XXVIII. 

264 

XXVIII. 

189 

XXVIII. 

228 

XXVIII. 

29 

XXVIII. 

171 

XXVIII. 

54 

XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

68 

XXVIII. 

70 

XXVIII. 

74 

292  SOCIETY   OF    BIBLICAL   ARCH/EOLOGV. 

Vol.     Page. 
Saite  nome,  emblem  of,    after  Xlltli  dynasty,  is  the  round-top 

shield  with  crossed  arrows  XXVIII.       71 

Sebek-em-heb    ^^1  ^    I    Q    I,   "a   scribe   of  the    soldiers," 

figure  of,  found  at  Wady  Haifa XXVIII.      118 

Semitic  immigrants  in  the  Delta  of  Egypt XXVIII.       29 

Sephiroth,  the  ten,  or  "  Emanations  of  the  Absolute  "      XXVIII.      no 

Set,  the  god,  his  name  written       ^     JH  on  the  sarcophagus  of 

Mentuhotep      ...         ...         ...  XXVIII.     124 

on  the  sarcophagus  of 

Sebek-aa  XXVIII.     123 

>^_J'      or        I  on     the 

Saqqarah  pyramids      ...         ...  XXVIII.     125 

and       ^     Jn  in  the 


Papyrus  of  Ani  XXVIII.  125 

,,         ,,  „  in  some  Ptolemaic  texts...  XXVIII.  127 

,,  not  a  god  of  the  land  or  desert     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  XXVIII.  127 

,,  from  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  often  written     I    V^       -i| 

,,   regarded  as  a  native  of  the  town  of  Soul 
Seti,  should  be  read  Soutekhi,  or  Setoukhi... 
Seth,  le  Dieu,  at  le  Roi  Sethosis 


2176,  the  Greek  transcription  of    I 


XXVIII. 

128 

XXVIII. 

128 

XXVIII. 

123 

XXVIII. 

123 

XXVIII. 

129 

XXVIII. 

29 

XXVIII. 

72 

Sel-Typhon,  the  god  of  the  Asiatic  immigrants  in  the  Delta 
Shield,  the  8-form  of,  not  found  after  the  IVth  dynasty    ... 

,,  ,,  the   characteristic  form  used  by  the  earliest 

historical    inhabitants    of    the     Eastern 

Mediterranean      XXVIII.       72 

,,  ,,  carried  by  a  Hittite  warrior,  carved  on  the 

castle  gateway  at  Zenjirli  XXVIII.       72 


Signs,  the     ||fcj  and        T        found  in  connection  with  the  name 

of  Hetep,  wife  of  Narmer  XXVIII.       70 

Si-ptah,  discovery  of  the  tomb  of      XXVIII.       96 


INDEX. 


293 


Slate,  a  new  carved     ... 

Soutekhi,  or  Setoukhi,  the  correct  reading  of  Seti. 

"  Star  of  Stars  "  the,  and  "  Dilgan  " 


Vol.  Page. 
...  XXVIII.  87 
...  XXVIII.  123 
...  XXVIII.  6,  47 


T, 

Tablets,  the,  of  Negadah  and  Abydos 
Takhat,  mother  of  Amenmeses 

,,       a  queen  mentioned  on  a  statue  of  Sety  II  ... 
Talismanic  medal,  a,  of  pewter 
Tarkutimme,  note  on  the  "boss  "of 
Tausert,  the  position  of  in  the  XlXth  dynasty 

,,        in  her  tomb  described  as  "  Heiress,  Royal  Wife,"  etc. 

,,        wife  of  Sety  II 

,,        the  tomb  of,  begun  during  the  reign  of  Sety  II  ... 
Tausert  and  Si-ptah,  their  names  on  a  scarab 
Tetragrammaton,  the  Kabbalistic  expression  of  the  four  letters 

the  ineffable  name  nin""  ... 
"  Throne  of  Nimrod  "... 

Toothache,  in  the  East  attributed  to  a  worm  in  the  tooth 
Tudghula,  of  the  Chedorlaomer  Tablets  is  the  "  Tidal  King 

Nations  "  mentioned  in  Genesis  xiv,  i 
Tyana,  Hittite  Inscription  from 


..  XXVIII. 

252 

...  XXVIII. 

186 

...  XXVIII. 

186 

...  XXVIII. 

XI7 

...  XXVIII. 

187 

...  XXVIII. 

185 

...  XXVIII. 

185 

...  XXVIII. 

185 

...  XXVIII. 

185 

...  XXVIII. 

185 

of 

...  XXVIII. 

"3 

...  XXVIII. 

149 

...  XXVIII. 

78 

of 

...  XXVIII. 

193 

...  XXVIII. 

94 

Wady  Haifa,  figures  found  at 


W. 


XXVIII.     iiJ 


z. 


Zagaga,  Babylonian  War  God 


...  XXVIII.     201 


294 


SOCIETY   OF    BIBLICAL   ARCH/EOLOGY. 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Apton,  E.  R. 
Burkitt,  Prof.  F.  C,  M.A. 
Campbell  Thompson,  R.,  M.A. 
Colin-Campbell,  Rev.  Dr. 

Cowper,  H.  S., /".^.^ 

Jones,  Rev,  F.  A.  

Legge,  F. ...       -^ 

Legrain,  G. 
Lieblein,  Prof.  J.... 
Loret,  Victor 

MuUer,  Dr.  D.  H 

Murray,  Miss  M.  A 

Nash,  W.  L.,  F.S.A 

Newberry,  Percy  E 

Pierret,  Prof.  Paul 

Pilcher,  E.  T 

Pinches,  T.  G.,  Z.Z.Z) 

Plunket,  Hon.  Miss  E 

Revillout,  Prof.  Dr.  E 

Ricci,  S.  de  

Sayce,  Prof.  A.  H.,  /?./). 

Schmidt,  Dr.  Valdemar 

Scott- Moncrieff,  V.,  B.A. 

Sibree,  E.,  M.A.  

Winstedt,  E.  O 


91. 


96,  185 

149 

76,  97,  219 

156 

228 

264 

14,  87,  159,  252 

17 

29 

123 

143 

33 

1 82 

68 

189  I 

no,  284  >( 

203,  270 

6,47 

178 

54 

133,  171,  i93>  241 

201,  268 

118 

27,  1S7 

137,  229